soleil
/sɔ.lɛj/
The English word 'sun' is translated into French as soleil.
soleil is the most straightforward way to refer to the sun, the star at the center of the solar system that provides light and heat to Earth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun soleil is masculine and is typically preceded by the definite article le to form le soleil.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɔ.lɛj/
Did you know?
- The word soleil comes from the Vulgar Latin sōliculus, which was actually a diminutive form of the Latin word for sun.
- In French, the word soleil is used in the phrase coup de soleil, which translates to 'hit of sun' but means 'sunburn'.
- French has a unique expression se mettre au soleil, which translates to 'putting oneself in the sun', used to describe the act of sunbathing without using the word 'bathing'.
Examples in context
- le beau soleil brillaitThe beautiful sun was shining
- Aujourd'hui, le soleil brille de mille feux.Today, the sun is shining brightly.
- Quel magnifique soleil ! On va pouvoir en profiter toute la journée.What a magnificent sun! We can enjoy it all day long.
- Le soleil brille très fort aujourd'hui.The sun is shining very brightly today.
- Le soleil se lève à l'est.The sun rises in the east.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are talking about the weather on a terrace.
- ChloéIl y a beaucoup de soleil !It is very sunny!
- GabrielOui, le soleil chauffe vraiment.Yes, the sun is really warming things up.
- ChloéOn devrait mettre de la crème.We should put on some sunscreen.
- GabrielTu as raison, Gabriel va en chercher.You are right, Gabriel will go get some.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
