English–French

“sadness” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/tʁistɛs/

Example

Je ressens une grande tristesse aujourd'hui.

I feel great sadness today.

Illustration for tristesse (sadness)

How to say “sadness” in French

“Sadness” in French is tristesse.

An inner shadow that makes ordinary moments feel painful and less joyful.

Full entry for tristesse: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with tristesse

Sa tristesse était visible dans ses yeux.

Her sadness was apparent in her eyes.

Tips for using tristesse

  • French commonly expresses the state with être triste or rendre triste, while avoir de la tristesse sounds more literary than everyday speech.

“sadness” in other languages