symptôme
/sɛ̃p.tom/masculine
The English word 'symptom' is translated into French as symptôme.
The term refers to something that indicates a disease or disorder.
Meaning: something that indicates a disease or disorder (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of symptôme is symptômes, formed by adding an s to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 2 syllables and is pronounced /sɛ̃.tom/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because of the phonetic similarity to French words ending in 'e', English speakers might mistakenly use the feminine article une. However, symptôme is a masculine noun, so you should use un symptôme.
Did you know?
- The Greek root of symptôme implies a 'falling together' or a 'coincidence', which originally suggested a coincidence of events rather than a medical sign.
- French uses the phrase symptôme révélateur to describe a specific indicator that finally makes the true nature of a hidden problem obvious.
- In French medical contexts, a symptôme is strictly something the patient feels, whereas a signe is something a doctor observes through an exam.
Examples in context
- Présentes-tu souvent ce symptôme ?Do you have this symptom often?Tatoeba #1853365 by sacredceltic, translation #29986 by CK
- De quel mal Trump est-il le symptôme ?What evil is Trump a symptom of?Tatoeba #9617852 by sacredceltic, translation #13400746 by rul
- C'est la première fois que tu as ce symptôme ?Is this the first time you've had this symptom?Tatoeba #10074789 by Micsmithel, translation #58447 by CK
- Ce sont les symptômes d'une grippe.These are the symptoms of a flu.
- Les signes cliniques du diabète sont nombreux.There are many clinical signs of diabetes.
- J'ai de la fièvre.I have a fever.
- Il a une toux persistante.He has a persistent cough.
- La fatigue est un symptôme courant de la grippe.Fatigue is a common symptom of the flu.
- Mon mal de tête s'est transformé en migraine.My headache has turned into a migraine.
- Elle présente des troubles digestifs depuis hier soir.She has been experiencing digestive issues since last night.
- Les symptômes de la maladie sont apparus soudainement.The symptoms of the illness appeared suddenly.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa is telling Lucas about her health at the office.
- LéaJe me sens mal, j'ai un symptôme bizarre.I feel unwell, I have a strange symptom.
- LucasLequel ? Tu as de la fièvre, Léa ?Which one? Do you have a fever, Léa?
- LéaNon, mais ce symptôme persiste depuis hier.No, but this symptom has persisted since yesterday.
- LucasTu devrais vraiment voir un médecin, Lucas conseille.You should really see a doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “symptom” translations and entries symptôme, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries symptôme, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
