sujet
/sy.ʒɛ/masculine
The French word for 'subject' (meaning main topic) is sujet.
sujet is used to describe the main topic or matter being discussed. It can also refer to a subject in a grammatical sense, such as the subject of a sentence. If you wish to express the idea of being 'conditional upon', sujet can also function as an adjective. To express the action 'to cause to undergo', you would use the verb soumettre (à).
Meaning: main topic (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, you may come across the term affaire when referring to a subject. In some regions of Belgium, question can sometimes be used to convey the idea of a subject. If you are specifically talking about school subjects, the term matière is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun sujet is masculine and requires masculine articles like le or un.
How do you pronounce it?
/sy.ʒɛ/
Did you know?
- In French philosophy and psychology, le sujet refers to the 'self' or the conscious observer, distinguishing the observer from l'objet, the object.
- In a medical context, a person participating in a study is often called un sujet, even though it sounds much more clinical or dehumanizing than the English 'participant'.
- While sujet means 'topic', the French word for a school 'subject' is matière, which literally translates to 'matter' or 'material'.
Examples in context
- On évite ce sujet.We're avoiding that subject.This sentence is useful for seeing how to express avoiding a sujet.Tatoeba #3435760 by Blabla, translation #7941142 by AlanF_US
- Le sujet est clos.The subject is closed.This sentence is useful for describing a sujet that is finished or closed.Tatoeba #11198870 by Aiji, translation #43711 by mccarras
- Ce sujet est tabou.This subject is taboo.This sentence is useful for describing a sujet that is considered taboo.Tatoeba #3996141 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3995820 by mervert1
- Le sujet principal de notre discussion est la situation économique actuelle.The main subject of our discussion is the current economic situation.
- Le thème abordé dans mon essai est l'importance de la liberté d'expression.The subject/theme addressed in my essay is the importance of freedom of speech.
- Je préfère les matières scientifiques comme la physique et la chimie.I prefer scientific subjects like physics and chemistry.
- La question de notre discussion est l'avenir de la politique belge.The subject of our discussion is the future of Belgian politics.
- 175 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are discussing a school project.
- LéaQuel est le sujet de ton exposé ?What is the subject of your presentation?
- NathanC'est un sujet assez complexe, Léa.It is a fairly complex subject, Léa.
- LéaTu as choisi un sujet intéressant.You chose an interesting subject.
- NathanMerci, je change rarement de sujet.Thanks, I rarely change the subject.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “subject” translations and entries sujet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
