Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AVC | /a.ve.se/ | masculine |
| accident vasculaire cérébral | /ak.si.dɑ̃ vas.ky.lɛʁ se.ʁe.bʁal/ | masculine |
| attaque cérébrale | /a.tak se.ʁe.bʁal/ | feminine |
The term refers to a loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted. While there are several ways to name this condition, the acronym AVC is the most common way to refer to a stroke in both medical contexts and everyday conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The term accident vasculaire cérébral literally translates to 'cerebral vascular accident'.
Which one should you use?
Attaque cérébrale is a more descriptive, slightly less technical way to say 'stroke' compared to the formal accident vasculaire cérébral. Note that while accident vasculaire cérébral and AVC are masculine, attaque cérébrale is a feminine noun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
AVC and accident vasculaire cérébral are masculine nouns, whereas attaque cérébrale is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of AVC is /a.ve.se/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the word coup to mean a medical stroke. In French, coup refers to a physical blow or a sudden overthrow or coup.
Did you know?
- The word vasculaire contains a hidden connection to the Latin word for a small container, because blood vessels were once conceptualized as tiny vessels or tubes.
- While English speakers might say someone 'had a stroke', a French speaker using attaque cérébrale is literally saying they suffered a 'cerebral attack'.
Examples in context
- Il a eu un AVC.He had a stroke.This sentence shows how to state that someone had a stroke using AVC.Tatoeba #13271800 by lbdx, translation #2266301 by _undertoad
- Ma grand-mère a eu un AVC.My grandmother had a stroke.This sentence provides an example of using AVC when speaking about a grandmother.Tatoeba #9687570 by lbdx, translation #2580750 by Hybrid
- L'IA est en train de faire un AVC.The AI's having a stroke.This sentence uses AVC in a metaphorical sense to describe an AI's malfunction.Tatoeba #13495206 by Rovo, translation #13471334 by rul
- Le patient a été victime d'un accident vasculaire cérébral hier.The patient suffered a stroke yesterday.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are talking about a relative's health.
- NathanPourquoi ton oncle est à l'hôpital ?Why is your uncle in the hospital?
- ManonIl a fait un AVC hier soir.He had a stroke last night.
- NathanC'est terrible, comment va-t-il maintenant ?That's terrible, how is he doing now?
- ManonIl est stable, mais il doit se reposer.He is stable, but he needs to rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stroke” translations and entries AVC, accident vasculaire cérébral, attaque cérébrale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries accident, attaque, cérébral, vasculaire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
