French word

jazz

Pronunciation

IPA/dʒaz/

Meaning

  • masculine nounjazz

Example

Nous allons au club pour écouter du jazz.

We are going to the club to listen to jazz.

Illustration for jazz (jazz)

More examples

Il aime écouter du jazz en buvant son café.

He likes listening to jazz while drinking his coffee.

Core concept

A live musical conversation where syncopated rhythms and spontaneous replies keep the sound changing.

Common phrases

  • écouter du jazz

    listen to jazz

  • jouer du jazz

    play jazz

  • un concert de jazz

    a jazz concert

Similar words

musique: Music in general, including instrumental and vocal forms.
concert: A live musical event performed before an audience.
improvisation: The act of creating melodies or accompaniment spontaneously during a performance.
blues: An American music genre known for mournful songs and distinctive chord progressions.

Definition in French

Genre musical venu des communautés afro-américaines, centré sur l'improvisation, les rythmes syncopés et l'interaction entre musiciens.

Word origin

French jazz is borrowed from English jazz, a term first recorded in the United States in the early twentieth century whose deeper origin remains uncertain.

Usage tips

  • In the example, du jazz is the usual partitive form after écouter when referring to jazz as music rather than a specific piece.

Related words

  • jazzistejazz musiciannoun
  • jazzyjazzyadjective
  • jazzmanjazzmannoun

Word lists with this word