terminale
/tɛʁ.mi.nal/
In French, senior year is translated as terminale.
In the French education system, terminale refers specifically to the final year of high school. You can refer to the year itself as la terminale because it is a feminine noun. To describe a person, you can use the structure un élève de terminale to mean a senior student.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating that a student is currently in their senior year, use the preposition en before the word, as in en terminale.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tɛʁ.mi.nal/ and has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
There are different ways to speak about this final year. While terminale is the standard term, you may hear the informal expression Année du Bac used to refer to the senior year in the context of the French education system. Formally, one might also use Année de fin d'études, which translates to 'year of graduation'.
Did you know?
- French students in terminale often undergo 'grand oral' exams, where they must defend a project orally before a jury to pass their year.
- The phrase terminale comes from the Latin 'terminus' meaning 'boundary' or 'end'. It suggests that the student has reached the absolute limit of their secondary education.
- The 'Année du Bac' is defined by the Baccalauréat, a national diploma that is not just a high school graduation certificate but a legal requirement to enter university.
Examples in context
- Thomas est en terminale.Tom is in senior year.This sentence is useful for saying a person is in terminale.Tatoeba #6850609 by Blabla, translation #6861514 by kaiperkins271
- Cet élève est en terminale.This student is in senior year.This sentence is useful for saying a student is in terminale.Tatoeba #1549952 by Scott, translation #9793487 by DJ_Saidez
- Je suis actuellement en dernière année du lycéeI am currently in my senior year of high school
- J'étudie en Terminale cette annéeI am studying in my senior year this year
- Dans notre système scolaire, l'année de fin d'études est très importanteIn our education system, senior year is very important
- L'année prochaine, je serai dans ma dernière année d'études secondairesNext year, I'll be in my senior year of secondary studies
- Ma sœur est enfin en terminale.My sister is finally in her senior year.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their school goals.
- GabrielTu as hâte d'être en terminale, Chloé ?Are you looking forward to senior year, Chloé?
- ChloéOui, mais j'ai peur du bac.Yes, but I'm afraid of the final exams.
- GabrielC'est normal, la terminale est stressante.That's normal, senior year is stressful.
- ChloéOn va réussir ensemble, Gabriel !We will succeed together, Gabriel!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry terminale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
