tribu
/tʁi.by/feminine
The English word 'tribe' is translated into French as tribu.
tribu refers to a group of people. In formal anthropological or sociological contexts, you may use the term ethnie to denote a distinct social group or a tribe.
Meaning: group of people (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tribu is tribus.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tʁi.by/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some French-speaking African regions, the word tribu can be perceived as reductive or colonial, leading people to prefer communauté or ethnie.
- The term tribu is often used in French media to describe 'tribus urbaines', which are subcultures or urban tribes like punks or skaters.
- While tribu is the standard term, using it to describe modern political parties can sound slightly derogatory or dismissive in French, implying they are unorganized.
Examples in context
- Les membres de cette tribu se sont établis le long du fleuve.Members of that tribe settled along the river.This sentence shows how to use tribu when describing where members settled.Tatoeba #949652 by U2FS, translation #44185 by U2FS
- Beaucoup des rites ancestraux de cette tribu ont été perdus avec le temps.Many of the ancestral rites of this tribe have been lost over time.This sentence uses tribu in the context of ancestral rites.Tatoeba #1036722 by sysko, translation #6812552 by Eccles17
- Les colons avaient des relations relativement pacifiques avec la tribu locale.The settlers maintained relatively peaceful relations with the local tribe.This sentence demonstrates how to use tribu when discussing relations with a local group.Tatoeba #12104673 by Amastan, translation #11219271 by Amastan
- Les chercheurs étudient actuellement l'impact des changements socio-économiques sur une ethnie amazonienne.Researchers are currently studying the impact of socio-economic changes on an Amazonian tribe.
- Le peuple Massaï est connu pour ses traditions ancestrales.The Maasai tribe is known for its ancestral traditions.
- Ma tribu a une tradition de chasse remontant à plusieurs générations.My tribe has a hunting tradition that dates back several generations.
- La nation Tlingit est originaire de la côte nord-ouest du Pacifique.The Tlingit tribe is originally from the Pacific Northwest coast.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing a documentary about indigenous people.
- NathanC'est quelle tribu exactement ?Which tribe is it exactly?
- ChloéC'est une petite tribu d'Amazonie.It is a small tribe from the Amazon.
- NathanLeur mode de vie est fascinant.Their way of life is fascinating.
- ChloéOui, cette tribu respecte beaucoup la nature.Yes, this tribe respects nature a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tribe” translations and entries tribu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
