French word

incendie

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃sɑ̃di/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfire

Example

Ils ont appelé les pompiers à cause de l'incendie.

They called the firefighters because of the fire.

Illustration for incendie (fire)

More examples

On a trouvé un début d'incendie dans la cuisine.

They found a fire starting in the kitchen.

Core concept

A destructive blaze spreading through a building and threatening everything around it.

Common phrases

  • signaler un incendie

    report a fire

  • appeler les pompiers pour un incendie

    call the firefighters about a fire

Similar words

feu: A small, manageable fire under human control.
fumée: Smoke produced by burning material.
flamme: The bright flames visible where something is burning.

Definition in French

Feu violent qui détruit ou met en danger des bâtiments, des biens ou des personnes.

Word origin

The noun incendie developed from Latin incendium, which is related to incendere, meaning to set fire to.

Usage tips

  • French uses feu for fire in a broad sense, while incendie normally denotes a serious or uncontrolled fire that causes damage or danger.

Other meanings

  • conflagrationnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word