attaché
/a.ta.ʃe/
In French, the word for tied is attaché.
Meaning: that resulted in a tie (adj)
Which one should you use?
If you are referring to a tie in terms of a sports score or a competitive result, do not use attaché. Instead, use nul or the phrase match nul to describe a sporting event that resulted in a tie.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a past participle, the form must agree in gender and number with the direct object if that object precedes the verb. This means you may use attachée for a feminine singular object, attachés for masculine plural or attachées for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ta.ʃe/
Did you know?
- While attaché means 'tied' or 'fastened', it is also a specific job title in diplomacy. An attaché is a person assigned to an embassy to handle specialized matters like culture or military affairs.
- When talking about 'tying' a shoelace, French speakers use the verb faire (to do/make) with nœud (knot). One says faire un nœud instead of using a direct translation of 'to tie'.
- In the context of a tie in a game, the word nul literally translates to 'null' or 'void'. This implies the score is treated as if it has no winner.
Examples in context
- Elle l'a attaché à la chaise.She tied him to the chair.This sentence shows how to use attaché to describe tying someone to a chair.Tatoeba #1337255 by sacredceltic, translation #887441 by CK
- Ils l'ont attaché à un arbre.They tied him to a tree.This sentence demonstrates the use of attaché in the context of tying someone to a tree.Tatoeba #3644830 by sacredceltic, translation #2903636 by Hybrid
- Elle l'a attachée à la chaise.She tied her to the chair.This sentence illustrates the feminine form attachée when the object being tied is female.Tatoeba #10233222 by felix63, translation #10233218 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Les deux parties sont liées par un accord d'entreprise.The two parties are tied by a business agreement.
- J'ai attaché les lacets de mes chaussures.I tied my shoelaces.
- J'ai bien noué le paquet cadeau.I tied the gift package nicely.
- Nous sommes liés par des accords internationaux.We are tied by international agreements.
- J'ai attaché les ballons au bout de la guirlande.I tied the balloons at the end of the garland.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are discussing the result of a chess match.
- ManonAlors, qui a gagné la partie ?So, who won the game?
- NathanPersonne, le score est resté attaché.Nobody, the score remained tied.
- ManonC'est dommage, je voulais un vainqueur.That's a shame, I wanted a winner.
- NathanOui, mais le match était attaché.Yes, but the match was tied.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry attaché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
