francés
“francés” means “French” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
French
📝 In Action
Me encanta el queso francés.
A1I love French cheese.
Mi amigo francés es muy amable.
A2My French friend (male) is very kind.
La bandera francesa es azul, blanca y roja.
A1The French flag is blue, white, and red. (Note: The adjective changes to 'francesa' for 'bandera'.)
French
📝 In Action
El francés es una lengua romance.
A1French is a Romance language.
¿Hablas francés?
A1Do you speak French?
Quiero traducir este libro del francés al español.
B1I want to translate this book from French to Spanish.
Frenchman
Also: French person (male)
📝 In Action
Conocí a un francés en el aeropuerto.
A1I met a Frenchman at the airport.
Los franceses son conocidos por su cultura.
A2The French (people) are known for their culture.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "francés" in Spanish:
frenchman→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: francés
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly refers to the French language?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the Late Latin term *Franciscus*, which referred to the Franks, a Germanic tribe that settled the region of Gaul (modern France) in the 5th century.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'francés' have an accent mark, but 'francesa' does not?
The accent mark on 'francés' (masculine singular) is needed to show that the stress falls on the last syllable. When you add the feminine ending '-a' or the plural ending '-es' or '-as', the stress naturally shifts, so the written accent is no longer necessary according to Spanish spelling rules.
When should I capitalize 'francés'?
Only capitalize 'Francés' if it starts a sentence. Spanish does not capitalize nationalities, languages, or days of the week, unlike English.