tragique
/tʁa.ʒik/
The English word "tragic" is translated into French as tragique.
tragique is used to describe something that causes great sadness or a sense of catastrophe.
Meaning: causing great sadness (adj)
Which one should you use?
While tragique describes something causing great sadness or a sense of catastrophe, it is more intense than the word triste, which means "sad".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective tragique is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁa.ʒik/
Did you know?
- In French literary tradition, a tragédie requires a 'noble' protagonist whose fall is inevitable. If the character is of a lower social class, the story is often categorized as a drame rather than something tragique.
- If you want to describe a situation as 'tragically' funny, you would not use tragiquement, as that implies a literal catastrophe.
- The word tragique is derived from the Ancient Greek word tragikós.
Examples in context
- Comme c'est tragique !How tragic!This example shows how to use tragique to express an exclamation of how tragic something is.Tatoeba #9416631 by Micsmithel, translation #2111811 by CK
- C'était un accident tragique.It was a tragic accident.This sentence uses tragique to describe an accident.Tatoeba #6861663 by Micsmithel, translation #3826970 by CK
- Cette triste histoire a eu une fin tragique.This sad story had a tragic ending.This sentence uses tragique to describe a story's ending.Tatoeba #11253287 by lbdx, translation #2756766 by Hybrid
- C'est une situation tragiqueIt's a tragic situation
- La nouvelle est vraiment dramatiqueThe news is truly tragic
- Leur destin funeste était inévitableTheir tragic fate was inevitable
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a news report about a shipwreck.
- NathanLe naufrage de ce bateau est vraiment tragique.The shipwreck of this boat is truly tragic.
- EmmaOui, c'est une nouvelle très triste.Yes, it is very sad news.
- NathanJe pense à toutes ces familles.I am thinking of all those families.
- EmmaC'est un événement tragique pour tout le monde.It is a tragic event for everyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tragic” translations and entries tragique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tragique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
