French word

patience

Pronunciation

IPA/pasjɑ̃s/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpatience

Example

Il faut de la patience pour apprendre une langue.

It takes patience to learn a language.

Illustration for patience (patience)

More examples

Elle a fait preuve de patience avec les enfants.

She showed patience with the children.

Core concept

A steady inner hold that lets a person wait or endure hardship without losing purpose.

Common phrases

  • avoir de la patience

    have patience

  • manquer de patience

    lack patience

  • faire preuve de patience

    show patience

Similar words

attente: The state or period of waiting for something to happen.
calme: A quiet, peaceful state of mind or surroundings.
tolérance: An open-minded acceptance of other people's differences and opinions.

Definition in French

Attitude calme consistant à attendre ou à endurer des épreuves sans perdre le contrôle ni la motivation.

Word origin

French patience comes through Old French from Latin patientia, derived from pati, meaning 'to endure' or 'to undergo'.

Usage tips

  • Patience is feminine in French, and the general quality commonly takes de la, as in 'de la patience'.

Other meanings

  • solitairenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word