harceleur
The English word 'stalker' can be translated into French as harceleur.
Harceleur refers to a person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions. In French, this term is broader than the English 'stalker' as it can also mean a harasser or bully in general contexts.
Meaning: person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions (noun)
Which one should you use?
The informal term Stalkeur(-euse) is an informal way to say stalker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is harceleur. To refer to a female stalker, use harceleuse. For the plural form, use harceleurs.
Did you know?
- While harceleur is the formal term for a stalker, young French speakers often use the English-inspired verb stalker to describe harmlessly browsing someone's social media profile. This is a much lighter use than the serious connotations of the French word harceler.
- The legal term harcèlement moral covers psychological bullying in the workplace, a concept that does not exist as a single word in English. Using harceleur in an office setting might describe a psychological bully rather than a physical stalker.
- Because the root verb harceler means to badger or pester, a harceleur can be someone who simply annoys you with constant, repetitive requests. This makes the term much broader and less inherently criminal than the English 'stalker'.
Examples in context
- Elle a un harceleur.She has a stalker.This sentence shows how to use harceleur to describe someone who has a stalker.Tatoeba #12480570 by always, translation #8394878 by Amastan
- Rima avait un harceleur.Rima had a stalker.This sentence uses harceleur in the past tense to describe a situation someone previously had.Tatoeba #12481980 by always, translation #10229186 by Amastan
- La victime a déposé une plainte contre son harceleurThe victim filed a complaint against her stalker
- Les voisins ont signalé un rôdeur dans le quartierThe neighbors reported a stalker in the neighborhood
- Elle a dit qu'elle avait un harceleur qui la suivait partoutShe said she had a stalker following her everywhere
- Il est vraiment obsédé par elle, il la suit partoutHe is really obsessed with her, he follows her everywhere
- Ce harceleur me suit partout.This stalker follows me everywhere.
Example conversation
Manon is explaining a safety concern to Nathan at a cafe.
- ManonNathan, je crois que j'ai un harceleur.Nathan, I think I have a stalker.
- NathanC'est grave ? Est-ce qu'il t'a suivie ?Is it serious? Did he follow you?
- ManonOui, ce harceleur est très inquiétant.Yes, this stalker is very worrying.
- NathanOn doit appeler la police tout de suite.We must call the police right away.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
