zen
/zɛn/masculine
zen is the French word for the English term zen.
zen refers to the denomination of Buddhism. In modern colloquial French, the term is also used as an adjective to describe a person who is calm, relaxed or unperturbed.
Meaning: denomination of Buddhism (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to Zen as a concept or a school of thought, it is used with the masculine definite article le, as in le Zen. The noun is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/zɛn/
Did you know?
- If you use 'zen' as an adjective, it remains invariable, meaning you do not add an 'e' for feminine subjects or an 's' for plural subjects.
- In French slang, if someone is described as trop zen, it can occasionally imply they are too passive or indifferent to a serious situation.
- French speakers may use zen to describe a minimalist interior design style, regardless of whether the owner practices Buddhism.
Examples in context
- Quoi ? Tout ce que j'ai, c'est une petite soupe et du céleri ? Je ne suis pas un moine Zen, je ne peux pas survivre à un régime d'austérité comme celui-ci.What? A little soup and celery is all I get? I'm not a Zen monk. I can't survive on an austerity diet like this.This sentence illustrates the use of zen in the context of a monk's austerity diet.Tatoeba #350211 by Barbiche0, translation #273843 by voxbubnya
- On dit que le Zen cultive notre esprit.They say Zen cultivates our mind.This sentence shows how zen can be treated as a concept that affects the mind.Tatoeba #913578 by Scott, translation #273842 by AlanF_US
- Ne t'inquiète pas, reste zen et tout se passera bien.Don't worry, stay calm, and everything will be fine.
- Il étudie la philosophie zen depuis des années.He has been studying Zen philosophy for years.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are discussing their hobbies at a cafe.
- LucasJe lis un livre sur le zen en ce moment.I am reading a book about Zen right now.
- ManonC'est fascinant, est-ce que tu médites aussi ?That's fascinating, do you meditate too?
- LucasOui, j'essaie de suivre les principes du zen.Yes, I try to follow the principles of Zen.
- ManonC'est une très belle approche de la vie.It is a very beautiful approach to life.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zen” translations and entries zen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
