French Conversation · Level 111
59 words
French word
gendarme
Pronunciation
IPA/ʒɑ̃daʁm/
Meaning
- masculine nounmilitary police officer
Example
La gendarme a aidé un touriste perdu.
The military police officer helped a lost tourist.
More examples
Le gendarme a contrôlé les papiers du conducteur.
The gendarme checked the driver's papers.
Core concept
A uniformed military-status police officer patrolling rural roads and keeping public order.
Common phrases
un gendarme en uniforme
a uniformed gendarme
le gendarme de quartier
the neighborhood gendarme
un gendarme en patrouille
a gendarme on patrol
Similar words
policier: A police officer who patrols urban areas, responds to calls, and protects public safety.
gendarmerie: A military law enforcement agency responsible mainly for rural areas and highways.
police: A national or local law enforcement agency that fights crime and maintains public safety.
Definition in French
Membre de la gendarmerie nationale, agent à statut militaire chargé du maintien de l'ordre et souvent de la sécurité routière, notamment en zone rurale et sur les routes.
Word origin
The noun gendarme developed from French gens d'armes, meaning armed people, through historical changes in pronunciation and spelling.
Usage tips
- The usual forms are un gendarme and, for a woman, une gendarme; the noun does not require a separate feminine ending.