étouffant
/e.tu.fɑ̃/
The English word "stuffy" can be translated into French as étouffant. Wiktionary also lists mal aéré and bouché.
Meaning: poorly ventilated (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| étouffant | /e.tu.fɑ̃/ |
| mal aéré | |
| bouché | /bu.ʃe/ |
When describing a room or environment that feels stuffy due to a lack of fresh air or high heat, you can use étouffant or the more literal description mal aéré. To describe the sensation of having a stuffy nose, the specific phrase is avoir le nez bouché.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective étouffant is derived from the verb étouffer, which means to stifle or suffocate.
Which one should you use?
Use étouffant when describing a room that is stuffy due to heat or a lack of air. In contrast, use bouché when describing a physical blockage, such as a stuffy nose. The phrase mal aéré is used as a more literal, descriptive way to say a space is poorly ventilated.
How do you pronounce it?
étouffant is pronounced /e.tu.fɑ̃/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term étouffée is used in Cajun and Creole cuisine to describe a hearty seafood stew cooked by 'smothering' the ingredients.
- In French, étouffant can describe not just a room, but also a person's overbearing or suffocating personality.
- The word bouché comes from bouchon, which is the French word for a 'cork' used in wine bottles.
Examples in context
- C'est étouffant ici. Je peux ouvrir une fenêtre ?It's stuffy in here. May I open a window?This sentence is useful for expressing that it is stuffy in a room and asking to open a window using étouffant.Tatoeba #8409779 by lbdx, translation #6241579 by CK
- avoir le nez bouchéTo have a stuffy noseThis phrase is used to express the idea of having a stuffy nose using bouché.
- La pièce est suffocante aujourd'huiThe room is stuffy today
- L'air dans cette pièce est étouffantThe air in this room is suffocating
- L'atmosphère est vraiment lourde iciThe atmosphere is really stuffy here
- On est étouffé dans cette salleIt's stuffy in this room
- Ce petit appartement est étouffant en été.This small apartment is stuffy in summer.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are in a crowded room.
- GabrielIl fait étouffant ici, non ?It's stuffy in here, isn't it?
- LéaOui, on devrait ouvrir la porte.Yes, we should open the door.
- GabrielJe ne trouve pas l'interrupteur.I can't find the switch.
- LéaRegarde, Gabriel, c'est juste là.Look, Gabriel, it's right there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stuffy” translations and entries étouffant, bouché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
