symphonie
/sɛ̃.fɔ.ni/feminine
The French word for "symphony" is symphonie.
symphonie refers to a piece of orchestral music.
Meaning: piece of orchestral music (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so you use the indefinite article une symphonie to say "a symphony".
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /sɛ̃.fɔ.ni/.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'symphony' for both the composition and the orchestra, in French, symphonie strictly refers to the musical work, while the group of musicians is l'orchestre symphonique.
- The word symphonie is often used in French art and poetry to describe a 'symphony of colors' (symphonie de couleurs) when discussing a painting or landscape.
- The French word symphonie comes from the Greek roots for 'together' and 'sound', reflecting the original idea of voices sounding in unison rather than a full orchestra.
Examples in context
- Qui est le compositeur de cette symphonie ?Who's the composer of this symphony?This sentence is useful for asking about the composer of a symphonie.Tatoeba #3245301 by sacredceltic, translation #2270557 by _undertoad
- Cette symphonie est vraiment un chef-d’œuvre.This symphony is a real masterpiece.This sentence is useful for describing a symphonie as a masterpiece.Tatoeba #442107 by ajira86, translation #59335 by CK
- Comme la partition principale d'une symphonie d'une fascinante complexité, le génome contient les instructions pour le développement et le maintien des organismes.Like the main score of a fascinatingly complex symphony, the genome contains the instructions for the development and maintenance of organisms.This sentence is useful for comparing the complexity of a symphonie to a genome.Tatoeba #10584127 by carlosalberto, translation #10584120 by carlosalberto
- Le chef d'orchestre dirige la symphonie magnifiquement.The conductor is beautifully conducting the symphony.
- As-tu écouté la grande symphonie de Beethoven ?Have you listened to Beethoven's grand symphony?
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are listening to a classical music concert.
- LucasCette symphonie est très émouvante.This symphony is very moving.
- EmmaOui, l'orchestre joue merveilleusement bien.Yes, the orchestra plays wonderfully.
- LucasTu connais le nom de cette symphonie ?Do you know the name of this symphony?
- EmmaJe ne suis pas sûre, Lucas.I am not sure, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “symphony” translations and entries symphonie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
