héros de l'ombre
The English phrase "unsung hero" can be translated into French as héros de l'ombre.
This expression refers to someone who performs great deeds but receives little or no recognition.
Meaning: one who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "hero of the shadow", where l'ombre means "the shadow".
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a woman, use the feminine form héroïne de l'ombre. The phrase héros de l'ombre remains the same in its plural form, with only the article changing to indicate plurality (les héros de l'ombre).
Did you know?
- The feminine form héroïne can sometimes carry a connotation of a 'heroine' in a romantic or legendary sense, whereas héroïne is also the French word for 'heroin' the drug.
- The word héros is a rare case where the pronunciation of the 'h' was intentionally altered over time to avoid a phonetic clash with the word zéros.
- The word héros evolved from a Middle French form heroe which was borrowed from the Latin accusative case.
Examples in context
- Les héros méconnus sont des individus dont les actions extraordinaires passent souvent inaperçues, mais qui méritent toute notre admiration et reconnaissance.Unsung heroes are individuals whose extraordinary actions often go unnoticed, but who deserve all our admiration and recognition.
- Elle est une véritable héroïne de l'ombre.She is a true unsung hero.
- C'est un véritable héros de l'ombre.He is a true unsung hero.
- Il faut remercier ce héros de l'ombre.We must thank this unsung hero.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are talking about a colleague who helped a lot during a project without taking any credit.
- LucasIl a beaucoup aidé tout le monde.He helped everyone a lot.
- ChloéC'est un héros de l'ombre, vraiment.He is a real unsung hero, truly.
- LucasMais personne ne l'a remercié.But nobody thanked him.
- ChloéC'est dommage pour lui.That is a shame for him.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, héros, CC BY-SA 4.0.
