esprit
/ɛs.pʁi/masculine
The French word for spirit is esprit.
It is also used to refer to the human mind, intellect or a person's wit/cleverness. The phrase avoir l'esprit ouvert is a common way to say one is open-minded.
Meaning: soul (noun)
Which one should you use?
While esprit can mean spirit, âme is the more common word for the religious or metaphysical 'soul'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word esprit is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛs.pʁi/
Did you know?
- In French, the term esprit d'escalier describes the frustration of thinking of the perfect witty comeback only after you have left the room and are walking down the stairs.
- In French, if you want to describe someone as being 'in good spirits', you do not use esprit but instead say avoir le moral.
- The Latin ancestor of esprit, spiritus, originally meant 'breath' or 'wind' rather than just a metaphysical concept.
Examples in context
- Es-tu un esprit ?Are you a spirit?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a spirit using esprit.Tatoeba #1842473 by sacredceltic, translation #8783349 by jimkillock
- Esprit, es-tu là ?Spirit, are you there?This sentence shows how to address a spirit directly using esprit.Tatoeba #632271 by U2FS, translation #663608 by Eldad
- Son esprit lui fit défaut.His spirit failed.This sentence demonstrates the use of esprit in a metaphorical sense regarding one's spirit or mental state.Tatoeba #2048425 by sacredceltic, translation #2047757 by halfb1t
- L'esprit d'équipeTeam spirit
- L'esprit critiqueCritical thinking
- L'esprit d'aventureSense of adventure
- Un esprit sain dans un corps sainA healthy mind in a healthy body
- La guérison de l'âmeThe healing of the soul
- Un esprit de compétitionA competitive spirit
- Une mentalité gagnanteA winning mentality
- Un concert plein d'énergieA concert full of spirit
- Elle a une énergie incroyableShe has an incredible spirit
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing a deep philosophical book.
- NathanCe livre parle de la relation entre le corps et l'esprit.This book talks about the relationship between the body and the spirit.
- ManonC'est fascinant, mais c'est un sujet très complexe.It's fascinating, but it's a very complex subject.
- NathanJe pense que l'esprit est immortel.I think the spirit is immortal.
- ManonJe suis d'accord avec toi, Nathan.I agree with you, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spirit” translations and entries esprit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esprit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
