sprint
/spʁint/masculine
The English word 'sprint' is translated into French as sprint.
The word sprint refers to a short race at top speed. It is used in both a literal sense, such as in athletics and metaphorically to describe a short and intense period of effort.
Meaning: short race at top speed (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/spʁint/
Did you know?
- While sprint is used for athletics, French speakers often use coup de collier to describe a sudden, intense burst of effort to finish a task.
- In French cycling, the sprint final is a culturally iconic moment of the race, often involving a specific tactical battle called le train where teammates lead out their sprinter.
- Because sprint is a direct borrowing from English, it is categorized by the Académie française as an 'anglicisme'.
Examples in context
- Ils étaient au coude-à-coude jusqu'au sprint final.They were neck-and-neck until the final sprint.This sentence shows how to describe a neck-and-neck competition leading up to the sprint final.Tatoeba #9735568 by Aiji, translation #9951432 by traeton
- Prends ton temps. C'est un marathon, pas un sprint.Take your time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.This sentence uses the term metaphorically to contrast a long-term task with a sprint.Tatoeba #12265674 by lbdx, translation #3118279 by Hybrid
- Maintenant commence le sprint final.Now, the last sprint begins.This sentence describes the beginning of the final sprint.Tatoeba #1002013 by elgranjuego, translation #5715819 by CardinalRed
- Il a couru très vite dans la compétition.He sprinted in the competition.
- L'athlète a effectué un sprint final pour remporter la course.The athlete performed a final sprint to win the race.
- Elle a foncé jusqu'à la ligne d'arrivée.She sprinted to the finish line.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are at a track and field training session.
- HugoEst-ce qu'on travaille le sprint aujourd'hui ?Are we working on the sprint today?
- EmmaOui, après l'échauffement.Yes, after the warm-up.
- HugoJe vais faire un sprint de cent mètres.I am going to do a hundred meter sprint.
- EmmaBonne chance, Hugo !Good luck, Hugo!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sprint” translations and entries sprint, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
