feu
/fø/masculine
In French, 'fire' can be translated as feu or incendie depending on the context.
Meaning: damaging occurrence of fire (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| feu | /fø/ | masculine |
| incendie | /ɛ̃.sɑ̃.di/ | masculine |
The word feu is a general term for fire, such as a flame or a campfire. In modern slang, the phrase le feu is used to describe something that is amazing or 'lit'. For actions involving weapons, the phrase faire feu means to shoot or to discharge a weapon, while the verb tirer also means to shoot.
Which one should you use?
Use feu for general fire, such as a flame or a campfire. Use incendie specifically for a destructive, uncontrolled or large-scale fire, such as a forest fire or a building fire that requires emergency services.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both feu and incendie are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/fø/
Did you know?
- While feu means 'fire', it is also used in the phrase feu rouge to describe a red traffic light. In this context, the word refers to the 'light' or 'signal' rather than heat or flames.
- In French law and formal writing, the word feu can be placed before a person's name to mean 'the late'. For example, feu mon père refers to a father who has passed away.
- The word feu originally referred to the 'hearth' or 'fireplace' rather than the element of fire itself, stemming from the Latin 'focus'.
Examples in context
- Halte au feu !Hold fire.This sentence is useful for the command to hold fire using feu.Tatoeba #1973288 by sacredceltic, translation #1972642 by CK
- Cessez le feu !Cease fire!This sentence is useful for the command to cease fire using feu.Tatoeba #1973289 by sacredceltic, translation #3178221 by carlosalberto
- En joue ! Feu !Aim. Fire!This sentence is useful for the command to fire a weapon using feu.Tatoeba #2077439 by sacredceltic, translation #1954262 by CK
- Appelle les pompiers, il y a un incendie dans l'immeuble!Call the firefighters, there is a fire in the building!
- La flamme dansait joyeusement dans la cheminée.The flame danced happily in the fireplace.
- Viens voir, il y a le feu dans le jardin!Come see, there's a fire in the garden!
- 516 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are walking in the forest and see smoke.
- LucasRegarde, il y a un feu là-bas !Look, there is a fire over there!
- EmmaC'est terrible, le feu se propage vite.That's terrible, the fire is spreading fast.
- LucasJe vais appeler les pompiers tout de suite.I'm going to call the firefighters right now.
- EmmaOui, Lucas, fais-le vite !Yes, Lucas, do it quickly!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “fire” translations and entries feu, incendie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries feu, incendie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
