Sofia
/sɔ.fja/feminine
Sofia is the French name for the Bulgarian capital.
Sofia refers specifically to the city of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Meaning: Bulgarian capital (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɔ.fja/
Did you know?
- The name Sofia in French is associated with the 'Sainte-Sophie' cathedral, as both share the root for 'wisdom'.
- When writing about Sofia in a list of cities, French writers typically do not translate the name, unlike how they translate 'London' to Londres.
- The name 'Sofia' is quite common in French as a first name, meaning a French speaker might mistake a reference to the city for a reference to a person in a fast-moving sentence.
Examples in context
- Il y a six heures de route de Sofia à Varna.It is a six hours' drive from Sofia to Varna.This sentence is useful for describing travel distances from Sofia.Tatoeba #830319 by U2FS, translation #830316 by ednorog
- Sofia est la capitale de la Bulgarie.Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria.This sentence is useful for stating the political status of Sofia.Tatoeba #8393062 by Adelpa, translation #2639405 by Olya
- De Sofia à Varna il y a six heures de route en voiture.From Sofia to Varna, it takes 6 hours by car.This sentence is useful for describing travel duration from Sofia by car.Tatoeba #1089394 by fs, translation #13700266 by Pars
- Sofi, ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vues ! On devrait prendre un café.Sofi, it's been a long time since we last saw each other! We should grab a coffee.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a travel plan.
- ManonTu vas à Sofia cet été ?Are you going to Sofia this summer?
- LucasOui, je pars à Sofia en juillet.Yes, I am leaving for Sofia in July.
- ManonC'est une belle ville, Sofia.Sofia is a beautiful city.
- LucasJ'ai hâte de découvrir la Bulgarie.I can't wait to discover Bulgaria.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sofia” translations and entries Sofia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
