French word

genre

Pronunciation

IPA/ʒɑ̃ʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounkind

Example

Quel genre de musique aimes-tu ?

What kind of music do you like?

Illustration for genre (kind)

More examples

Ce genre de film me fait rire.

This kind of film makes me laugh.

Core concept

A shared pattern puts songs, books, people, or forms into one recognizable kind.

Common phrases

  • quel genre de

    what kind of

  • le genre de musique

    the genre of music

  • un genre de film

    a film genre

Similar words

type: A particular type or classification used to distinguish things.
sorte: A group of similar things considered as one kind.
catégorie: A division within a classification based on a stated criterion.
style: A distinctive way of appearing or expressing something.

Definition in French

S'emploie pour parler d'une catégorie, d'un type ou d'un style; très fréquent dans les questions du type «Quel genre... ?».

Word origin

The French noun genre derives from Latin genus through Old French and retains related meanings of kind, style, and grammatical gender.

Usage tips

  • Quel genre de means what kind of, as in quel genre de musique, with de linking genre to the following noun.

Other meanings

  • gendernoun
  • stylenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word