French word

personnage

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛʁsonaʒ/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncharacter

Example

Quel est ton personnage préféré dans ce livre ?

Who is your favorite character in this book?

Illustration for personnage (character)

More examples

Le personnage principal affronte ses peurs dans la dernière scène.

The main character confronts their fears in the final scene.

Core concept

A figure brought to life within a story by an author, performer, or filmmaker.

Common phrases

  • personnage principal

    main character

  • personnage secondaire

    supporting character

  • personnage fictif

    fictional character

Similar words

personne: A real person who exists in the world.
rôle: A role performed by an actor or carried out as a duty.

Definition in French

Personne représentée ou inventée qui apparaît dans une histoire, un roman, une pièce ou un film.

Word origin

Personnage comes from Old French personnage, formed from personne with the suffix -age, while personne ultimately comes from Latin persona, meaning a mask or role.

Usage tips

  • Personnage usually means a fictional character, whereas personne normally refers to a real person.

Other meanings

  • personnoun

Word lists with this word