thriller
/tʁi.lœʁ/masculine
The French word for the fiction genre "thriller" is thriller.
The term thriller is widely used in French.
Meaning: genre of fiction (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /tʁi.lœʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While thriller is common, the French often use roman policier or polar for crime-based thrillers. Polar is a shortened version of policier and is used as a standalone noun for the genre.
- While thriller is used for the genre, French critics often prefer the term roman noir to describe darker and more gritty suspense fiction.
- French speakers use the word suspense to describe the feeling a story evokes, but they almost never use it as the name of the genre itself.
Examples in context
- L'album Thriller de Michael Jackson est l'album le plus vendu de tous les temps.Michael Jackson's album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time.This sentence shows how the word thriller is used in the title of a famous Michael Jackson album.Tatoeba #5687260 by Yemana, translation #5687201 by Hybrid
- Le nouveau roman de cet auteur est un thriller captivant.The new book by this author is a captivating thriller.
- J'aime lire des romans policiers pleins de suspense.I enjoy reading thrilling detective novels.
- Le dernier livre de cet auteur est un excellent roman à suspense.The latest book by this author is an excellent suspense novel.
- Tu devrais lire ce bouquin palpitant, tu vas adorer.You should read this thrilling book, you'll love it.
- Ce thriller est vraiment captivant.This thriller is truly captivating.
- Je préfère lire un thriller plutôt qu'une romance.I prefer reading a thriller rather than a romance.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are at a bookstore.
- LucasTu cherches un nouveau thriller ?Are you looking for a new thriller?
- EmmaOui, j'en cherche un pour ce soir.Yes, I'm looking for one for tonight.
- LucasCe thriller policier est très populaire ici.This crime thriller is very popular here.
- EmmaMerci, je vais l'acheter.Thanks, I'm going to buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thriller” translations and entries thriller, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
