ailier
/ɛ.lje/masculine
The French word for winger is ailier.
ailier is a masculine noun used to refer to an offensive player.
Meaning: offensive player (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ailier is derived from aile, which means 'wing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female winger, use the feminine form ailière. For multiple masculine wingers, use the masculine plural form ailiers.
How do you pronounce it?
ailier is pronounced /ɛ.lje/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- While ailier describes the position, French commentators often use the phrase joueur de couloir which literally means 'corridor player'.
- Because it comes from aile, the word ailier shares its root with the English word 'aileron', which is the part of an airplane wing that controls movement.
- While an 'ailier' stays on the 'wing' of the pitch, the word aile is also used in French to describe the 'flank' of an army in military history.
Examples in context
- Le joueur a été excellent en tant qu'ailier lors du match d'aujourd'hui.The player was excellent as a winger in today's game.
- Ce type est un super ailier, rapide comme l'éclair !This guy is a great winger, lightning fast!
- Il joue en tant qu'ailier.He plays as a winger.
- L'ailier est très rapide sur le terrain.The winger is very fast on the field.
- Nous avons besoin d'un nouvel ailier.We need a new winger.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are watching a soccer match.
- ManonRegarde l'ailier, il est impressionnant !Look at the winger, he is impressive!
- NathanOui, il centre très bien le ballon.Yes, he crosses the ball very well.
- ManonC'est le meilleur ailier du championnat.He is the best winger in the league.
- NathanJe suis d'accord avec toi, Manon.I agree with you, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winger” translations and entries ailier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ailier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
