stationnaire
/sta.sjɔ.nɛʁ/feminine, masculine
The French word for stationary is stationnaire.
stationnaire is an adjective used to describe something that is not moving. In a medical context, it is specifically used to describe a patient whose condition is stable or not improving/worsening.
Meaning: not moving (adj)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse the French adjective stationnaire (not moving) with the English noun stationery (writing paper), which is translated as papeterie in French.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective stationnaire is invariable in gender, meaning the spelling remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /sta.sjɔ.nɛʁ/.
Did you know?
- While stationnaire means not moving, the related word stationnement refers to the act of parking a car.
- In French medical reports, if a patient is described as stationnaire, it is often a neutral or even slightly negative sign, implying that while they are not dying, they are also not recovering.
- While stationnaire describes something that stays in place, the French term for a person who stays in one place, such as a sedentary person, is often sédentaire.
Examples in context
- une position stationnaireA stationary position
- Cette cible est stationnaire.This target is stationary.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing a graph of data.
- HugoRegarde cette courbe, elle est stationnaire.Look at this curve, it is stationary.
- ManonC'est vrai, ça ne bouge plus du tout.That's true, it is not moving at all anymore.
- HugoPourquoi est-elle devenue stationnaire ?Why has it become stationary?
- ManonJe pense que les données sont stables.I think the data is stable.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stationary” translations and entries stationnaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
