discours
/dis.kuʁ/masculine
The English word speech translates to French as discours.
discours refers to a formal or structured oration rather than a casual conversation.
Meaning: an oration, session of speaking (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word discours is the same in both singular and plural forms.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /dis.kuʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word discours shares a root with the English word 'discourse', but its original Latin meaning was much more physical. It literally meant 'the act of running about' or 'wandering'.
- In many political contexts, the phrase le discours de politique générale refers to a specific, highly ritualized annual speech delivered to the French Parliament.
- While 'speech' in English can refer to the faculty of talking, in French, the term for the biological ability to speak is la parole.
Examples in context
- J'ai aimé ton discours.I liked your speech.This sentence is useful for expressing a liking for someone's discours.Tatoeba #7326960 by Rockaround, translation #3197862 by CK
- Il a donné un discours.He gave a speech.This sentence is useful for describing the act of giving a discours.Tatoeba #7352878 by Aiji, translation #2764262 by CK
- Il prononça un discours.He delivered a speech.This sentence is useful for describing the act of delivering a discours.Tatoeba #1316316 by sacredceltic, translation #294104 by CK
- Le Président a prononcé un discours convaincant lors de la conférence.The President delivered a compelling speech at the conference.
- Le Premier Ministre a donné une allocution télévisée pour annoncer les nouvelles mesures.The Prime Minister gave a televised speech to announce the new measures.
- J'ai assisté à une causerie intéressante sur l'histoire de l'art.I attended an interesting speech on art history.
- J'ai assisté à une conférence fascinante sur les nouvelles technologies.I attended a fascinating speech about new technologies.
- 212 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are at a wedding reception.
- LéaLe discours de Lucas était très émouvant.Lucas's speech was very moving.
- LucasMerci, j'ai beaucoup travaillé dessus.Thank you, I worked hard on it.
- LéaTu as bien parlé.You spoke well.
- LucasC'est gentil de ta part, Léa.That is kind of you, Léa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speech” translations and entries discours, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries discours, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
