French Conversation · Level 80
60 words
French word
hymne
Pronunciation
IPA/imn/
Meaning
- masculine nounhymn
Example
Ils ont chanté l'hymne à l'église.
They sang the hymn at church.
More examples
L'hymne national a été joué avant le match.
The national anthem was played before the game.
Core concept
A formal song or poem raised in praise, from worship to public celebration.
Common phrases
l'hymne national
national anthem
chanter l'hymne
sing the hymn
Similar words
cantique: A religious song of praise sung in a church or other place of worship.
chanson: A popular song commonly sung by many people.
Definition in French
Pièce chantée ou poème exprimant la louange, souvent d'origine religieuse, parfois adoptée comme hymne national ou comme œuvre célébrant une personne ou une cause.
Word origin
French hymne comes from Latin hymnus, borrowed from Greek hymnos, and retains the sense of a song or poem of praise.
Usage tips
- Hymne is masculine, and the h is silent, so the phrase is l'hymne and the word is pronounced roughly like eem.
Other meanings
- anthemnoun
- odenoun
Opposites
- plaintelamentnoun