étranger

/etʁɑ̃ʒe/
adjectiveBeginner
general

Coming from another country or place; not native or local.

Les étrangers visitent souvent les monuments historiques.

Foreigners often visit historical monuments.

💡

Can refer to people, objects, or concepts originating elsewhere.

general

Unfamiliar or strange; not known or usual.

Cette idée lui est étrangère.

This idea is foreign to him.

💡

Often used metaphorically to describe unfamiliar concepts.

Collocations

pays étrangerforeign countrylangue étrangèreforeign languagepassport étrangerforeign passport

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

être un étrangerphrase
to be a foreigner
étranger àphrase
unfamiliar with

💡Pro Tip

Gender Agreement

'étranger' is an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (e.g., 'étrangère' for feminine, 'étrangers' for plural).

Gold Rule

Usage in Context

When referring to people, 'étranger' can be used as a noun (e.g., 'un étranger') or an adjective (e.g., 'un pays étranger').

📖Word Origin

From Old French 'estrange', from Latin 'extraneus' meaning 'external, outside'.

📝Usage Notes

In French, 'étranger' can refer to both people and things that are foreign. It is commonly used in legal and administrative contexts.

Word Breakdown

étrang-
foreign, strange
root
+
-er
adjective suffix
suffix
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais