French word

étoile

Pronunciation

IPA/etwal/

Meaning

  • feminine nounstar

Example

On voit une étoile ce soir.

A star is visible tonight.

Illustration for étoile (star)

More examples

J'ai fait un vœu en voyant une étoile filante.

I made a wish upon seeing a shooting star.

Core concept

A bright point that stands out in the sky or among people.

Common phrases

  • une étoile filante

    shooting star

  • une étoile du cinéma

    movie star

Similar words

soleil: The large glowing celestial body that provides Earth with daylight and warmth.
lune: Earth's round natural satellite, visible as a bright body at night.
planète: A spherical celestial body orbiting a star without emitting its own light.
étoile filante: A small body that flashes briefly while entering Earth's atmosphere.

Definition in French

Personne célèbre reconnue pour son talent ou sa renommée; le mot désigne aussi l'astre lumineux du ciel.

Word origin

French étoile comes through Old French estoile from Latin stella, with the human sense developing from the image of a star that shines above others.

Usage tips

  • Étoile is feminine, so the usual form is une étoile, including when it means a famous person.

Opposites

Related words

  • étoiléstarredadjective

Word lists with this word