trésor
/tʁe.zɔʁ/masculine
The French word for treasure is trésor.
The word trésor refers to a collection of valuable things. It can also be used as an informal term of endearment for a loved one, such as in the phrase mon trésor, which is similar to saying 'my treasure', 'sweetheart' or 'darling' in English.
Meaning: collection of valuable things (noun)
Which one should you use?
While trésor is the standard term, you might encounter joyau, which translates to 'jewel' and can be used metaphorically to refer to a treasure. In informal contexts, the word pépite is often used to represent a hidden gem or an unexpected treasure.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural of trésor, simply add an 's' to the end to get trésors. The default form trésor is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁe.zɔʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
When do people say it?
When calling someone mon trésor, you are using a common term of endearment typically reserved for children or romantic partners.
Did you know?
- The English word 'thesaurus' is a direct linguistic sibling of the French trésor, as both stem from the same Ancient Greek word for a storehouse.
- Unlike in English, where 'treasure' can be a verb meaning 'to cherish', trésorer is an extremely rare verb almost exclusively used in financial contexts regarding treasury management.
- The term trésor is used in French administrative language to refer to the 'Trésor public', which is the state treasury or the government's finances.
Examples in context
- Ce trésor est fabuleux.This treasure is fabulous.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of a specific trésor.Tatoeba #1483740 by martin9, translation #6733279 by Eccles17
- L’Europe est un trésor.Europe is a treasure.This sentence uses trésor to describe a place metaphorically.Tatoeba #12832334 by Orange, translation #12832338 by Orange
- Nous cherchons le trésor.We're looking for the treasure.This sentence shows the use of trésor when searching for something.Tatoeba #12488234 by lbdx, translation #7357042 by sabretou
- Le musée abrite un trésor inestimable de joyaux anciens.The museum houses an invaluable treasure of ancient jewels.
- Mon fils, tu es mon plus grand trésor.My son, you are my greatest treasure.
- Cette pièce d'art est une pépite rare du 18e siècle.This artwork is a rare 18th-century treasure.
- J'ai trouvé cette vieille montre dans le grenier, quelle pépite !I found this old watch in the attic, what a treasure!
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are looking at an old chest in an attic.
- LéaRegarde, ce vieux coffre contient un trésor !Look, this old chest contains a treasure!
- HugoEst-ce que c'est un vrai trésor ?Is it a real treasure?
- LéaOui, Hugo, il y a des pièces d'or.Yes, Hugo, there are gold coins.
- HugoC'est un trésor incroyable pour nous !It is an incredible treasure for us!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “treasure” translations and entries trésor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trésor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
