sujet
/sy.ʒɛ/masculine
The English word "topic" can be translated into French as sujet or thème.
Meaning: subject, theme (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sujet | /sy.ʒɛ/ | masculine |
| thème | /tɛm/ | masculine |
Both sujet and thème mean subject or theme. Sujet is the most common word for a topic being discussed or a subject of conversation. You can use the idiom changer de sujet to mean "to change the subject" or "to change the topic". If you want to say "I'm interested in…", you can use Je m'intéresse à…
Which one should you use?
Sujet is the general term for a subject or topic of conversation. In contrast, thème is used when the topic refers to a central motif, a recurring theme or a specific subject for an event or an assignment.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a grammatical context, sujet refers to the subject of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/sy.ʒɛ/
Did you know?
- In French, sujet can act as an adjective meaning 'prone to' or 'liable to'. For example, one can be sujet aux migraines, meaning they are prone to migraines.
- In a French classroom, a thème can also refer to a specific type of translation exercise from a foreign language into French.
- Beyond grammar and conversation, sujet also means 'subject' in the sense of a person living under a monarch. A person who owes allegiance to a king or queen is called un sujet.
Examples in context
- J'ai ouvert ce sujet.I started this topic.This sentence shows how to use sujet to indicate starting a topic.Tatoeba #556988 by sacredceltic, translation #556794 by kebukebu
- As-tu choisi un thème ?Have you chosen a topic?This sentence uses thème to ask if a topic has been chosen.Tatoeba #940840 by sacredceltic, translation #934939 by CM
- Ne change pas de sujet.Don't change the topic.This sentence uses sujet to tell someone not to change the topic.Tatoeba #1330415 by sacredceltic, translation #3819130 by CK
- Le premier sujet de notre réunion sera les prévisions budgétaires.The first topic of our meeting will be the budget forecasts.
- Le thème principal de ce livre est la quête de liberté.The main theme of this book is the quest for freedom.
- Voici quelques sujets de discussion pour notre prochaine assemblée.Here are a few topics for discussion for our upcoming assembly.
- On a parlé de plein de trucs intéressants hier soir.We talked about a lot of interesting stuff last night.
- Quel est le sujet de conversation du jour ?What's the topic of conversation today?
- Quels sujets aborderons-nous lors de la réunion ?What topics will we discuss during the meeting?
- Les sujets principaux seront la stratégie marketing et les résultats de l'enquête de satisfaction.The main topics will be the marketing strategy and the results of the satisfaction survey.
- Je propose qu'on change de sujet de conversation.I suggest we change the topic of conversation.
- Je m'intéresse à la musiqueI'm interested in music
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing a school project.
- HugoQuel est le sujet de ton exposé, Léa ?What is the topic of your presentation, Léa?
- LéaJe parle de la protection des océans.I am talking about the protection of the oceans.
- HugoC'est un sujet très intéressant !That is a very interesting topic!
- LéaMerci, Hugo. J'aime beaucoup ce domaine.Thank you, Hugo. I really like this field.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “topic” translations and entries sujet, thème, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
