sueur
/sɥœʁ/feminine
The English word 'sweat' can be translated into French as sueur. Wiktionary also lists transpiration.
Meaning: fluid that exits the body through pores (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sueur | /sɥœʁ/ | feminine |
| transpiration | /tʁɑ̃s.pi.ʁa.sjɔ̃/ | feminine |
The term refers to the fluid that exits the body through the pores. While sueur is the most common way to refer to the substance, it is also related to the verb suer, which means to sweat or to perspire.
Which one should you use?
sueur is the common word used in everyday conversation, whereas transpiration is a more formal or scientific term used to describe the process of sweating.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, the term un coton ouaté is used predominantly to mean a sweatshirt.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun sueur is derived from the verb suer (to sweat). The formal noun transpiration has the corresponding verb form transpirer (to perspire).
How do you pronounce it?
/sɥœʁ/
Did you know?
- In French, the expression suer sang et eau literally means 'to sweat blood and water' to describe a task that requires extreme struggle.
- In a culinary context, the word suer means to cook vegetables slowly in fat until they soften and release their juices, similar to 'sweating' them in English.
- The word sueur is a direct descendant of the Latin word sūdor, which also gave rise to the English word 'sudorific', meaning something that induces sweating.
Examples in context
- Je suis trempé de sueur.I'm drenched in sweat.This sentence is useful for describing being drenched in sueur.Tatoeba #11166435 by Aiji, translation #3820417 by CK
- Tom dégoulinait de sueur.Tom dripped with sweat.This sentence shows how someone might be dripping with sueur.Tatoeba #7745627 by lbdx, translation #7715567 by shekitten
- J’ai eu une sueur froide.I had a cold sweat.This sentence is used to describe having a cold sueur.Tatoeba #10707877 by AutoBot, translation #10707874 by AutoBot
- J'adore ce pull à capuche !I love this sweatshirt!
- Tu as vu mon sweat ?Did you see my sweatshirt?
- Ce coton ouaté est confortable.This sweatshirt is comfortable.
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are finishing a workout at the gym.
- LucasOuf, j'ai vraiment beaucoup de sueur sur le front.Phew, I really have a lot of sweat on my forehead.
- ManonMoi aussi, Lucas. On a bien travaillé !Me too, Lucas. We worked hard!
- LucasJe vais essuyer ma sueur avec cette serviette.I'm going to wipe my sweat with this towel.
- ManonBonne idée, Manon a déjà fini.Good idea, Manon is already finished.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweat” translations and entries sueur, transpiration, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sueur, transpiration, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
