tsunami
/tsy.na.mi/masculine
The English phrase 'tidal wave' can be translated into French as tsunami or raz-de-marée.
Meaning: tsunami (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tsunami | /tsy.na.mi/ /tsu.na.mi/ |
masculine |
| raz-de-marée | /ʁa.d(ə).ma.ʁe/ /ʁɑ.d(ə).ma.ʁe/ |
What does it mean word for word?
The term raz-de-marée literally translates to 'scrape of the tide' or 'stripping of the tide'.
Which one should you use?
While both mean a large wave, tsunami is the more common and scientifically accurate term used in modern French, whereas raz-de-marée is often used in more descriptive or journalistic contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
The word tsunami is pronounced /tsy.na.mi/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- French media often use raz-de-marée to describe a landslide victory in an election, suggesting a political force that cannot be stopped.
- In some coastal regions of France, raz is still used as a noun to describe a narrow passage of water with a very strong current, regardless of whether a disaster is happening.
- In modern French, raz-de-marée is frequently used as a metaphor to describe a sudden and overwhelming influx of people or things, such as a 'tidal wave' of protestors or emotions.
Examples in context
- Ils n'ont pas été prévenus du raz-de-marée.They weren't warned of the tidal wave.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use raz-de-marée when talking about being warned of a wave.Tatoeba #8444095 by lbdx, translation #307183 by CK
- Le tsunami a détruit toute la ville.The tsunami destroyed the entire city.
- Les scientifiques surveillent chaque tsunami.Scientists monitor every tsunami.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are watching a documentary about nature.
- ManonC'est effrayant, ce tsunami !That tsunami is terrifying!
- HugoOui, la force de l'eau est incroyable.Yes, the force of the water is incredible.
- ManonEst-ce que ça arrive souvent ici ?Does that happen often here?
- HugoNon, c'est très rare dans cette région.No, it is very rare in this region.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tidal wave” translations and entries tsunami, raz-de-marée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
