État
/e.ta/masculine
The English word 'state' can be translated into French as État.
The term is used to refer to a political entity. When specifically referring to someone's health state, you can use the term état de santé.
Meaning: political entity (noun)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the political entity and a general condition. The political entity is written with a capital letter as État, whereas the word for a condition or status, such as a 'state of mind', is written in lowercase as état.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the political entity or government, the word État is almost always capitalized in French.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.ta/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- The Latin root status did not just give French the word état for 'state', but also the past participle été, which means 'been'.
- In a historical context, the États généraux were the 'Estates General' of France, representing three different social classes rather than geographic regions.
- While English speakers often say 'The State' to mean the government, French speakers often prefer using le gouvernement or les pouvoirs publics to avoid the heavy, formal weight of l'État.
Examples in context
- Boris a quitté l'État.Boris left the state.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use État to mean the state.Tatoeba #11838168 by Amastan, translation #11798400 by Amastan
- Il est en état de choc.He's in a state of shock.This sentence shows how to use État when referring to a state of shock.Tatoeba #1737785 by sacredceltic, translation #1737219 by Spamster
- Je suis en état de choc.I'm in a state of shock.This sentence is another example of using État to describe a state of shock.Tatoeba #7763265 by Aiji, translation #5639083 by CK
- L'état de la voiture est excellent.The state of the car is excellent.
- Le médecin évalue l'état de santé du patient.The doctor assesses the patient's state of health.
- Quel est ton état d'esprit en ce moment ?What's your state of mind at the moment?
- état de santé précaireprecarious health state
- Ma situation financière est stableMy financial situation is stable
- 188 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a political science lecture.
- GabrielQuel est le rôle de l'État ?What is the role of the State?
- EmmaC'est une question complexe, Gabriel.It's a complex question, Gabriel.
- GabrielL'État doit protéger ses citoyens.The State must protect its citizens.
- EmmaOui, c'est l'idée de base.Yes, that is the basic idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “state” translations and entries État, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries état, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
