sud-africain
/sy.da.fʁi.kɛ̃/
The English phrase "south african" is translated into French as sud-africain.
The term is used as an adjective to describe things, people or concepts pertaining to or originating from, South Africa.
Meaning: of, from, or pertaining to South Africa (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of sud (south) and africain (African).
Which one should you use?
When used as an adjective, the word is not capitalized in French.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular is sud-africain, the feminine singular is sud-africaine, the masculine plural is sud-africains and the feminine plural is sud-africaines. When referring to a person as a noun, the capitalized forms Sud-Africain (masculine) and Sud-Africaine (feminine) are used.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /sy.da.fʁi.kɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- When referring to a group of South Africans of mixed genders, French defaults to the masculine plural Sud-Africains, even if the group is predominantly female.
- The pronunciation of the end of sud-africain involves a nasal vowel, a sound that does not exist in English and requires air to pass through both the mouth and nose.
- French speakers often use the phrase l'Afrique du Sud to describe the region, where the word sud functions as a noun rather than the adjective sud-africain.
Examples in context
- J'aime le nouveau drapeau sud-africain.I like the new South African flag.This sentence shows how to use sud-africain as an adjective for a flag.Tatoeba #11838050 by Amastan, translation #1769838 by Amastan
- Christiaan Barnard était un médecin sud-africain.Christiaan Barnard was a South African doctor.This sentence shows how to use sud-africain as an adjective for a doctor.Tatoeba #11838056 by Amastan, translation #1787789 by Amastan
- Le réalisateur sud-africain Carlos Carvalho est mort après s'être fait percuter la tête par une girafe.South African filmmaker Carlos Carvalho died after being hit in the head by a giraffe.This sentence shows how to use sud-africain as an adjective for a filmmaker.Tatoeba #6878360 by GB3, translation #6878357 by Hybrid
- Paul est un Sud-Africain passionné de rugby.Paul is a South African who is passionate about rugby.
- Les ressortissants de l'Afrique du Sud doivent présenter un passeport valide.The nationals of South Africa must present a valid passport.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing their favorite travel destinations.
- GabrielTu veux visiter le parc national sud-africain ?Do you want to visit the South African national park?
- EmmaOui, j'adore la nature sud-africaine.Yes, I love South African nature.
- GabrielC'est un voyage très long.It is a very long trip.
- EmmaÇa vaut le coup pour voir le pays sud-africain.It's worth it to see the South African country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south african” translations and entries sud-africain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
