marais
/ma.ʁɛ/masculine
The French word for swamp is marais. Wiktionary also lists marécage.
Meaning: type of wetland (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| marais | /ma.ʁɛ/ | masculine |
| marécage | /ma.ʁe.kaʒ/ | masculine |
Both provided terms refer to types of wetlands. While they are often used to describe similar environments, they carry different nuances regarding the state of the terrain.
Which one should you use?
The term marais is the most common and general word for a marsh or swamp. In contrast, marécage is used to emphasize a more dense, boggy or stagnant wetland area that is particularly difficult to traverse. Both words are masculine nouns.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word marais is invariable in number, meaning its singular and plural forms are spelled the same. However, marécage follows standard French noun declension and takes an s in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ma.ʁɛ/
Did you know?
- The term marais appears in the name of the famous Le Marais district in Paris, which was historically a swampy area before it became one of the city's most aristocratic neighborhoods.
- The word marais is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'marsh'. Both can be traced back to the Frankish word *marisk, which described wet lowlands.
Examples in context
- J'ai vu le marécageI saw the swamp
- Ce marais est très dangereux.This swamp is very dangerous.
- Nous avons marché dans le marais.We walked through the swamp.
- Il y a beaucoup d'oiseaux dans ce marais.There are many birds in this swamp.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are hiking in the countryside.
- LéaNathan, regarde ce grand marais.Nathan, look at this big swamp.
- NathanIl est magnifique, mais restons loin du marais.It is magnificent, but let's stay away from the swamp.
- LéaTu as raison, il fait trop humide ici.You are right, it is too humid here.
- NathanRepartons avant de nous salir les chaussures.Let's leave before we get our shoes dirty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swamp” translations and entries marais, marécage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marais, marécage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
