tsunami
/tsy.na.mi/masculine
The English word "tsunami" is tsunami in French. Wiktionary also lists raz-de-marée.
Meaning: large, destructive wave generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tsunami | /tsy.na.mi/ /tsu.na.mi/ |
masculine |
| raz-de-marée | /ʁa.d(ə).ma.ʁe/ /ʁɑ.d(ə).ma.ʁe/ |
masculine |
Both terms refer to a large, destructive wave generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean.
Which one should you use?
tsunami is the standard international term used in scientific and news contexts. In contrast, raz-de-marée is a more descriptive French term often used to describe the physical effect of a massive surge of water.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both tsunami and raz-de-marée are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/tsy.na.mi/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- While tsunami is used for geological events, raz-de-marée is frequently used as a metaphor in French politics and sports to describe an overwhelming victory or a sudden surge of popular support.
- The raz in raz-de-marée is a linguistic relative of the English word 'race', as in 'race current', referring to the fast movement of water.
- In French, raz-de-marée is used to describe any massive wall of water, including those caused by dam failures or landslides, whereas tsunami is reserved for seismic activity.
Examples in context
- L'alerte au tsunami a été levée.The tsunami alert was cancelled.This sentence is useful for seeing how to express that a tsunami alert has been cancelled.Tatoeba #828810 by U2FS, translation #828794 by Scott
- Le séisme provoqua un puissant tsunami.The earthquake triggered a powerful tsunami.This sentence shows how to describe a tsunami being triggered by an earthquake.Tatoeba #827025 by sacredceltic, translation #3508930 by Objectivesea
- Le tsunami anéantit tout sur son passage.The tsunami obliterates everything in its path.This sentence illustrates how to describe the destructive path of a tsunami.Tatoeba #10146949 by lbdx, translation #5266046 by Cithara
- Le tsunami qui a frappé la côte est du Japon était dévastateur.The tsunami that hit the east coast of Japan was devastating.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are watching a documentary about natural disasters.
- ChloéRegarde, c'est impressionnant, ce tsunami !Look, this tsunami is impressive!
- NathanOui, la vague est vraiment immense.Yes, the wave is really huge.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'un tsunami arrive souvent ici ?Does a tsunami happen often here?
- NathanNon, c'est très rare dans cette région.No, it's very rare in this region.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tsunami” translations and entries tsunami, raz-de-marée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
