French in Different Languages
Discover 'French' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'French' holds a significant place in our global lexicon, often associated with the language, culture, and people of France. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as French has long been a language of art, diplomacy, and fashion. But did you know that French is also the official language of 29 countries and is spoken by over 280 million people worldwide?
Understanding the translation of 'French' in different languages can open up a world of opportunities for travel, business, and cultural exchange. For example, in Spanish, 'French' is 'francés,' while in German, it's 'französisch.' In Mandarin Chinese, it's '法语 (fǎ yǔ),' and in Japanese, it's 'フランス語 (furansu-go).'
As you delve into the fascinating world of language and culture, exploring the translations of 'French' will undoubtedly enrich your understanding and appreciation of this beautiful language and the people who speak it. Keep reading to discover more translations of 'French' in various languages!
French
French in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | frans | ||
| The word "Frans" in Afrikaans has its origins in the Old French word "franceis," which meant "French" or "of France". | |||
| Amharic | ፈረንሳይኛ | ||
| Hausa | faransanci | ||
| The word “Faransanci” in Hausa also denotes “Europeans” irrespective of the country of origin of the person. | |||
| Igbo | french | ||
| French (French) is also used by many Igbo speakers to mean something that appears good, beautiful or impressive. | |||
| Malagasy | frantsay | ||
| The word 'FRANTSAY' is derived from the French word for 'French', which is 'Français' | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chifalansa | ||
| A word derived from the word "Frans" from Tshivenda to describe someone who is French | |||
| Shona | chifrench | ||
| The word "ChiFrench" has been used as a term of endearment or to denote stylishness. | |||
| Somali | faransiis | ||
| Sesotho | sefora | ||
| Swahili | kifaransa | ||
| In Swahili the word for 'French', 'Kifaransa', derives etymologically from the Farsi phrase 'Farangsah', meaning 'Frankish'. | |||
| Xhosa | isifrentshi | ||
| The word 'IsiFrentshi' is also used to refer to the French language, even though Xhosa has its own word, 'isiFulentshi', for that. | |||
| Yoruba | faranse | ||
| In Yoruba, | |||
| Zulu | isifulentshi | ||
| IsiFulentshi is derived from the French phrase 'il est fluent', meaning 'he is fluent'. Zulu uses the shortened version of this phrase to refer to the French language. | |||
| Bambara | faransikan na | ||
| Ewe | fransegbe me nya | ||
| Kinyarwanda | igifaransa | ||
| Lingala | lifalanse | ||
| Luganda | olufaransa | ||
| Sepedi | sefora | ||
| Twi (Akan) | franse kasa | ||
French in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فرنسي | ||
| فرنسي (French) also means "someone who goes to extremes," perhaps to the point of "going all out" or being eccentric. | |||
| Hebrew | צָרְפָתִית | ||
| The Hebrew word "צָרְפָתִית" (French) originally referred to the language of the Crusaders from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. | |||
| Pashto | فرانسوي | ||
| In the eastern branch of Pashto, “French | |||
| Arabic | فرنسي | ||
| فرنسي (French) also means "someone who goes to extremes," perhaps to the point of "going all out" or being eccentric. | |||
French in Western European Languages
| Albanian | frëngjisht | ||
| The word "Frëngjisht" is derived from the Frankish people, who ruled over much of Europe in the Middle Ages. | |||
| Basque | frantsesa | ||
| The word "Frantsesa" is derived from the Basque words "franko" (free) and "sesa" (language), and also means "Frankish" or "Frankonian". | |||
| Catalan | francès | ||
| The exonym “Francès” for France and “French” also derives from the Frankish people. | |||
| Croatian | francuski | ||
| Francuski' is derived from the Old Frankish word 'Frenkis', referring to the Frankish people who conquered Gaul in the 5th century. | |||
| Danish | fransk | ||
| The word is derived from the Old Norse Franks, meaning "the fierce people." | |||
| Dutch | frans | ||
| Frans can also mean 'fringe' or 'edge' in Dutch, referring to the fringes of a garment or the edges of a piece of fabric. | |||
| English | french | ||
| The word "French" can also refer to the language spoken in France, as opposed to the ethnic group. | |||
| French | français | ||
| Le mot « français » vient du latin populaire *francíscús, lui-même dérivé du germanique *frankisk signifiant « relatif aux Francs ». | |||
| Frisian | frânsk | ||
| It also means "foreign" or "unknown" in the modern sense. | |||
| Galician | francés | ||
| Francés means "frank" in Galician, and is related to the name of the Germanic tribe that settled in Western Europe in the 3rd century. | |||
| German | französisch | ||
| The word "Französisch" derives from the Old High German word "frankonisk", which referred to the Franks, a Germanic tribe that conquered Gaul (present-day France) in the 5th century. | |||
| Icelandic | franska | ||
| Franska, in addition to meaning "French", can also refer to a type of French mustard or a woman with a specific character or appearance. | |||
| Irish | fraincis | ||
| The Irish word 'Fraincis' (French) derives from the Latin 'Francia', denoting the land of the Franks, a Germanic people who established the Frankish Kingdom in the 5th century. | |||
| Italian | francese | ||
| The word "francese" in Italian is often used to refer to the French fries | |||
| Luxembourgish | franséisch | ||
| Franséisch stammt vom althochdeutschen Wort «fランクh» ab (Franke, Freier) und steht in verwandschaftlicher Verbindung zur Bezeichnung der Franken als Volksname. | |||
| Maltese | franċiż | ||
| This word can also refer to someone born in France, the French language, or the French nation, and is likely to have been coined during the Arab rule of Malta. | |||
| Norwegian | fransk | ||
| Fransk, meaning 'French' in Norwegian, originates from the Proto-Germanic word 'Frankon', referring to the Franks, a Germanic tribe. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | francês | ||
| O termo "francês" deriva do francês antigo "franceis", que por sua vez vem do latim "francus", significando "franco" ou "livre". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | frangach | ||
| The term "Frangach" comes from the Old French "Franceis" and is also used to refer to Gaelic speakers who have adopted French customs. | |||
| Spanish | francés | ||
| In Spain, «francés» also refers to the "francisco", a copper-plated Spanish two-cent coin minted under Charles III and Charles IV. | |||
| Swedish | franska | ||
| Franska also means 'open' or 'free' in Swedish. | |||
| Welsh | ffrangeg | ||
| The word "Ffrangeg" has additional meanings, including "foreign" or "unknown." | |||
French in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | французская | ||
| The word "Французская" can also mean "French Fries" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | francuski | ||
| The word "Francuski" also means "French fries" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | френски | ||
| The word "Френски" also means "braid" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | francouzština | ||
| Slovo „francouzština” pochází ze staroněmeckého „Franzoys” označujícího „frankouzsko-římského“ a označuje původně „řeč Francouzů“. | |||
| Estonian | prantsuse keel | ||
| The word is a compound of two words, "Prantus" from Latin Francia and "keel" meaning "language". | |||
| Finnish | ranskan kieli | ||
| The word "Ranskan kieli" is formed from the words "Ranska", which is the nominative form of the Finnish word for "France", and "kieli", which means "language". Thus, the word "Ranskan kieli" literally means "the language of France". | |||
| Hungarian | francia | ||
| Francia in Hungarian can also refer to the Frankish Empire or Franconia. | |||
| Latvian | franču | ||
| The word "Franču" is derived from the Germanic "Frank". In Latvian, it can also refer to a type of bread. | |||
| Lithuanian | prancūzų kalba | ||
| The word "Prancūzų kalba" is derived from the name of the Frankish people, who were a Germanic tribe that conquered Gaul in the 5th century AD. | |||
| Macedonian | француски | ||
| Француски in Macedonian can also refer to the French language and culture. | |||
| Polish | francuski | ||
| The word "Francuski" in Polish derives from the name of the Frankish tribe, who ruled over much of Europe in the early Middle Ages. | |||
| Romanian | limba franceza | ||
| The Romanian word "limba franceza" derives from the Proto-Romance "*francia", meaning "Frankish" or "from Francia" (a region of northwestern Europe inhabited by the Germanic Franks). | |||
| Russian | французский язык | ||
| The word "французский язык" (French) is derived from the old Russian word "фрязь", which referred to Western Europeans, particularly merchants from the Hanseatic League. | |||
| Serbian | француски | ||
| У српском језику израз "Француски" такође означава и одређену врсту шпила | |||
| Slovak | francúzsky | ||
| The word Francúzsky is derived from the name of an ancient Germanic tribe, the Franks, who invaded and settled in Gaul (present-day France) in the 5th century. | |||
| Slovenian | francosko | ||
| The word "Francosko" in Slovenian can mean both "French" and "from France". | |||
| Ukrainian | французька | ||
| In botany, 'Французька' (French) can also refer to a variety of lilac with double purple petals. | |||
French in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ফরাসি | ||
| ফরাসি শব্দটির ব্যুৎপত্তি মূলতঃ একটি আরবি শব্দ "ফিরান্সি" থেকে এসেছে। | |||
| Gujarati | ફ્રેન્ચ | ||
| Hindi | फ्रेंच | ||
| In Hindi, the word "फ्रेंच" can also refer to the French language or a person from France. | |||
| Kannada | ಫ್ರೆಂಚ್ | ||
| The word 'ಫ್ರೆಂಚ್' in Kannada can also refer to the French language, people, or culture. | |||
| Malayalam | ഫ്രഞ്ച് | ||
| The word "ഫ്രഞ്ച്" (French) in Malayalam also refers to a type of dance and a style of beard. | |||
| Marathi | फ्रेंच | ||
| Nepali | फ्रेन्च | ||
| The word "फ्रेन्च" can also refer to the French language or culture. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫ੍ਰੈਂਚ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ප්රංශ | ||
| ප්රංශ is derived from the Sanskrit word 'परङ्गम्' (parangam), meaning 'foreign' or 'distant'. | |||
| Tamil | பிரஞ்சு | ||
| The word 'பிரஞ்சு' (French) in Tamil also refers to the 'Frankish' or 'Frankish people' (Franks) who were a Germanic people that conquered much of Western Europe in the 5th century. | |||
| Telugu | ఫ్రెంచ్ | ||
| Urdu | فرانسیسی | ||
| In Urdu, the word 'فرانسیسی' can also refer to the French language, French culture, or anything related to France. | |||
French in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 法文 | ||
| 中国古代对西方国家的统称，现多指法国、意大利等罗曼语系国家 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 法文 | ||
| 「法文」一詞在中文除了指稱「法語」之外，也意指「法律條文」或「法律文書」。 | |||
| Japanese | フランス語 | ||
| フランス語の起源は古フランス語の「franc」，ゲルマン祖語の「*frankōn」に遡り，本来は「自由の人」を意味した。 | |||
| Korean | 프랑스 국민 | ||
| In Korean, the word "프랑스 국민" can also mean a person who is well-dressed or elegant, similar to the English phrase "dressed to the nines". | |||
| Mongolian | франц | ||
| In Mongolian, "Франц" can also mean "potato". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပြင်သစ် | ||
| The term may have originated from the word “Paris”, which came from the term “Pali”. | |||
French in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perancis | ||
| "Perancis" juga mengacu pada orang dari Prancis, budaya Prancis, atau bahasa Prancis. | |||
| Javanese | prancis | ||
| "Prancis" in Javanese can colloquially refer to any Westerners, not just people from France. | |||
| Khmer | បារាំង | ||
| The word "បារាំង" (French) in Khmer is derived from the Sanskrit word "पारसीक" (Persian), which referred to the Persians and later the Arabs. | |||
| Lao | ຝຣັ່ງ | ||
| คำว่า "ຝຣັ່ງ" ในภาษาลาว ยังหมายถึง คนต่างชาติ หรือ ฝรั่งเศสโบราณ | |||
| Malay | bahasa perancis | ||
| In Malay, 'Bahasa Perancis' literally means 'the language of France', as 'bahasa' means 'language' and 'Perancis' means 'France'. | |||
| Thai | ฝรั่งเศส | ||
| ในภาษาไทย คำว่า "ฝรั่งเศส" ยังสามารถหมายถึงชาวตะวันตกโดยทั่วไป หรือชาวต่างชาติที่มีผิวขาว | |||
| Vietnamese | người pháp | ||
| Người Pháp có nghĩa đen là "người Frank", ám chỉ một liên minh các bộ tộc German chinh phục Gaul vào thế kỷ thứ 5. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pranses | ||
French in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | fransız dili | ||
| The word “Fransız dili” is used to refer to both the French language and the French people in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | француз | ||
| In Kazakh, "Француз" can also refer to a type of flower known as a "marigold". | |||
| Kyrgyz | франсузча | ||
| The word “Франсузча” (“French”) comes from the French phrase “français” which is the word for the French people. | |||
| Tajik | фаронсавӣ | ||
| The word "Фаронсавӣ" in Tajik means "French", but its historical etymology may be related to the ancient kingdom of Francia, which was called "France" in English and French and "France" in Tajik. | |||
| Turkmen | fransuz | ||
| Uzbek | frantsuz | ||
| The word 'Frantsuz' (French) in Uzbek is derived from the word 'Frank' (Frankish), referring to the Germanic tribes that eventually established the Kingdom of France. | |||
| Uyghur | فىرانسۇزچە | ||
French in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | palani | ||
| Palani, in Hawaiian, can refer to a small fish, as well as the island of Lanai. | |||
| Maori | wiwi | ||
| Wiwi can also refer to the edible fern root in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | falani | ||
| The term 'Falani' likely originated from early interactions with French traders during the 1800s, where 'Français' was misheard or simplified. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pranses | ||
| The term "Pranses" in Tagalog can also refer to a type of small, spicy fish, or as a slang term for a homosexual person. | |||
French in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | francés aru | ||
| Guarani | francés ñe’ẽme | ||
French in International Languages
| Esperanto | francoj | ||
| Latin | gallica | ||
| Gallica derives from Gaul, a Celtic-speaking part of Western Europe conquered by the Romans. | |||
French in Others Languages
| Greek | γαλλική γλώσσα | ||
| The term "γαλλική γλώσσα" in Greek comes from the name of the Galatians, a Celtic people who inhabited an area now known as France. | |||
| Hmong | fab kis | ||
| Fab Kis is also used by Hmong people to refer to people of European descent. | |||
| Kurdish | fransî | ||
| While in some Kurdish dialects Fransî means 'French' as a language, in some dialects it means 'France' as a country | |||
| Turkish | fransızca | ||
| The word "Fransızca" can be traced back to the Arabic word "Faransawī" which means "Frankish" or "Western European". | |||
| Xhosa | isifrentshi | ||
| The word 'IsiFrentshi' is also used to refer to the French language, even though Xhosa has its own word, 'isiFulentshi', for that. | |||
| Yiddish | פראנצויזיש | ||
| The Yiddish word "פראנצויזיש" (French) derives from the Old French word "franceis", meaning "Frankish", referring to the Franks, a Germanic people who ruled much of Europe during the Middle Ages. | |||
| Zulu | isifulentshi | ||
| IsiFulentshi is derived from the French phrase 'il est fluent', meaning 'he is fluent'. Zulu uses the shortened version of this phrase to refer to the French language. | |||
| Assamese | ফৰাচী | ||
| Aymara | francés aru | ||
| Bhojpuri | फ्रेंच भाषा के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ފްރެންޗް ބަހުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | फ्रेंच | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pranses | ||
| Guarani | francés ñe’ẽme | ||
| Ilocano | pranses nga | ||
| Krio | frɛnch | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | فەڕەنسی | ||
| Maithili | फ्रेंच | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐ꯭ꯔꯦꯟꯆ | ||
| Mizo | french tawng a ni | ||
| Oromo | afaan faransaayii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଫରାସୀ | ||
| Quechua | francés simipi | ||
| Sanskrit | फ्रेंचभाषा | ||
| Tatar | француз | ||
| Tigrinya | ፈረንሳዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xifurwa | ||