coucher de soleil
/ku.ʃe d(ə) sɔ.lɛj/masculine
The English phrase "sunset" in French is coucher de soleil.
The term refers to the time of day.
Meaning: time of day (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, coucher de soleil means "setting of sun". Here, coucher is the infinitive of the verb coucher (to lay down/to set) and soleil means "sun".
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun phrase is masculine, so it is preceded by the masculine article le.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ku.ʃe d(ə) sɔ.lɛj/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word soleil actually comes from a Latin diminutive, meaning the word's ancestor literally meant 'little sun'.
- To describe the colors of a coucher de soleil, French uses the word empourpré, which specifically means to turn a deep purple-red.
- In French, the word couchage can refer to a bed or a place to sleep, deriving from the same root as the 'setting' of the sun.
Examples in context
- Quel beau coucher de soleil.What a beautiful sunset.This sentence is useful for expressing admiration for a sunset using coucher de soleil.Tatoeba #1330332 by sacredceltic, translation #416541 by Scott
- Quel beau coucher de soleil !What a beautiful sunset!Tatoeba #341298 by TRANG, translation #36133 by CK
- Ziri a regardé le coucher de soleil.Ziri watched the sunset.This sentence is useful for describing someone watching the sunset using coucher de soleil.Tatoeba #11964301 by Amastan, translation #11205532 by Amastan
- Je suis toujours émerveillé par le coucher de soleil sur la plage.I am always amazed by the sunset on the beach.
- Hier soir, j'ai observé le soleil qui se couchait depuis ma fenêtre.Last night, I watched the sunset from my window.
- Le couchant sur la Côte d'Azur est tout simplement époustouflant.The sunset on the French Riviera is simply breathtaking.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is sitting on a beach in the evening.
- NathanLe coucher de soleil est magnifique ici.The sunset is magnificent here.
- LéaOui, c'est très romantique, Nathan.Yes, it is very romantic, Nathan.
- NathanVeux-tu prendre une photo du coucher de soleil ?Do you want to take a photo of the sunset?
- LéaOh oui, avec plaisir !Oh yes, with pleasure!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunset” translations and entries coucher de soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coucher, de, soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
