septième
/sɛ.tjɛm/
The French word for seventh is septième. Wiktionary also lists sept.
Meaning: ordinal form of the number seven (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| septième | /sɛ.tjɛm/ /se.tjɛm/ |
| sept | /sɛt/ (Europe) /sɛtə/ |
septième is the ordinal form of the number seven. As a noun, it can refer to a musical interval or one of seven equal parts of a whole. The phrase être au septième ciel is an idiom used to describe being extremely happy or in a state of bliss.
Which one should you use?
Use septième for the ordinal number (seventh) and sept for the cardinal number (seven).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word septième is used for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛ.tjɛm/. The word has 2 syllables.
When do people say it?
The expression être au septième ciel is used idiomatically to express being in a state of bliss.
Did you know?
- In certain traditional French contexts, the septième refers to a specific prayer or memorial service held one week after a person's death.
- The idiom être au septième ciel refers to the ancient belief that there are seven layers of heaven, with the septième being the highest and most divine realm.
- The French word sept shares a common ancestor with the English word 'seven', as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *septḿ̥.
Examples in context
- Tu as été septième.You were seventh.This sentence shows the use of septième to indicate a position in a sequence.Tatoeba #7109014 by Aiji, translation #2255281 by CK
- Je suis au septième ciel.I'm in seventh heaven.This sentence demonstrates the idiom for being extremely happy using septième.Tatoeba #9065944 by Aiji, translation #2707742 by Dejo
- Il était au septième ciel.He was in the seventh heaven.Tatoeba #2659631 by Rovo, translation #2659619 by Balamax
- le septième jourThe seventh day
- Il a remporté la septième édition de cette compétition.He won the seventh edition of this competition.
- Nous étions invités à la fête du septième anniversaire de leur fille.We were invited to their daughter's seventh birthday party.
- Le septième arrondissement est réputé pour sa richesse culturelle.The seventh district is renowned for its cultural wealth.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are waiting for a train at a station.
- EmmaQuel est le numéro du train ?What is the train number?
- LucasC'est le septième train de la journée.It's the seventh train of the day.
- EmmaLucas, est-ce qu'il est en retard ?Lucas, is it late?
- LucasOui, il arrive avec dix minutes de retard.Yes, it is arriving ten minutes late.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seventh” translations and entries septième, sept, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sept, septième, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
