sournois
/suʁ.nwa/
The English adjective sneaky can be translated into French as sournois. Wiktionary also lists fourbe.
Meaning: dishonest, deceitful (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| sournois | /suʁ.nwa/ |
| fourbe | /fuʁb/ |
These words are used to describe someone who is dishonest or deceitful.
Which one should you use?
sournois specifically implies a sense of being underhanded or acting behind someone's back. In contrast, fourbe carries a stronger connotation of being treacherous or a rogue.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is sournois. The feminine form is sournoise. The masculine plural form remains sournois.
How do you pronounce it?
/suʁ.nwa/
Did you know?
- The word fourbe is closely related to the verb fourbir, which originally meant to polish or brighten metal, creating a strange linguistic path from polishing a sword to being deceitful.
- Unlike English, where 'sneaky' can sometimes be used affectionately for a child or a pet, sournois and fourbe are almost always negative and rarely used as compliments.
- The adjective fourbe is often used in French fairy tales to describe the 'trickster' archetype, such as a fox, whereas sournois is more common in modern social descriptions.
Examples in context
- Tom n'est pas sournois.Tom isn't sneaky.This sentence is useful for saying that Tom is not sneaky.Tatoeba #6851584 by GB3, translation #3360558 by CK
- Tu es sournois.You're sneaky.This sentence is useful for saying that you are sneaky.Tatoeba #4655522 by sacredceltic, translation #2203377 by CK
- Je suis sournois.I'm sneaky.This sentence is useful for saying that I am sneaky.Tatoeba #4678978 by sacredceltic, translation #2203379 by CK
- Il est resté furtif pendant toute l'opération.He remained sneaky throughout the operation.
- Pierre a eu un sourire malicieux juste avant de lancer sa blague.Pierre had a sneaky smile just before he cracked his joke.
- Je ne lui fais pas confiance, elle a un regard sournois.I don't trust her, she has a sneaky look.
- Ne te laisse pas berner par son attitude charmante, il est vraiment fourbe.Don't be fooled by his charming demeanor, he is truly sneaky.
- roublard comme un renardSly as a fox
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a former colleague at a cafe.
- ChloéEst-ce que Marc est toujours sournois ?Is Marc still sneaky?
- HugoOui, il est très sournois avec tout le monde.Yes, he is very sneaky with everyone.
- ChloéJe savais qu'il n'était pas honnête.I knew he wasn't honest.
- HugoMéfie-toi de lui, Chloé.Watch out for him, Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sneaky” translations and entries sournois, fourbe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fourbe, sournois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
