French Vocabulary And Phrases For Military Personnel
Written byAdrien Renault- Read time6 mins
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Whether you’re serving or just interested in French wartime literature, learning military French is useful.
Which French vocabulary and words linked to the military (and war) should you learn?
I’ve listed the most important terms in this guide.
NOTE: If you need info on the salary perks in the military for learning French, see this guide on DLAB and DLPT.
French vocabulary for military ranks
The table below contains essential French vocabulary for military ranks.
To use these ranks correctly, remember to use the feminine or masculine article that matches the gender of the French noun and the article l’ when the article precedes a vowel.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Army general | Le général d’armée |
| Army corps general | Le général de corps d’armée |
| Brigade general | Le général de brigade |
| Colonel | Le colonel |
| Lieutenant colonel | Le lieutenant colonel |
| Commandant | Le commandant |
| Captain | Le capitaine |
| Officer cadet | L’élève officier |
| Major | Le major |
| Chief sergeant | Le sergent-chef |
| Sergeant | Le sergent |
| Corporal | Le caporal |
| Recruit | La recrue |
French weapon vocabulary
The list below contains French weapon vocab.
You may have heard some of these terms before, or at least recognise them (they’re very close to their English equivalents).
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Bullet | La balle |
| Grenade | La grenade |
| Gun | Le pistolet |
| Drone | Le drone |
| Bomb | La bombe |
| Landmine | La mine terrestre |
| Machine guns | Les mitrailleuses |
| Weapon | L’arme |
| Missile | Le missile |
| Rifle | Un fusil |
| Automatic handgun | Une mitraillette |
| A firearm | Une arme à feu |
Other French phrases related to weaponry
You may also hear other French phrases linked to weapons when watching news coverage of war or military personnel.
The following examples are common French phrases related to weaponry to help you listen for those words.
- Abattre quelqu’un - to kill a person with a weapon
- Tirer sur quelqu’un - to shoot at a person
- Tuer quelqu’un - to kill a person
- Blesser quelqu’un - to wound a person
- Se faire tirer dessus - to be fired upon or shot at
French imperative verbs used in military contexts
If you’ve watched films related to the military or seen some documentaries on the French Foreign Legion for example, you would have noticed that they use many French imperatives (commands).
Check the examples listed in this table to learn what the main imperatives are.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Go | Va ! |
| Get up | Levez-vous ! |
| Listen | 'Ecoutez ! |
| Hands up | Les mains en l’air ! |
| Surrender | Rendez-vous ! |
| Don’t move | Ne bougez pas ! |
| Stop | Arrêt ! |
| Move | Déplacez ! |
| Hurry | Dépêchez ! |
| Calm yourself | Calmez ! |
| Give it to me | Donnez moi ca ! |
| Lower the hands | Baissez les mains ! |
Division names
The terms for 3 main divisions of the military (army, navy and air force) are in the table below.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Army | L’armée | Luharme |
| Navy | La marine | Lah-mah-reen |
| Air force | La force aérienne | Lah-forss-ahrienn |
French army-specific terms
Here are a few army-specific terms you should learn.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Army | L’armée |
| Tank | Un tank |
| Truck | Un camion |
| Missile | Un missile |
| Airplane | Un avion |
| Troops | Troupes |
| Armoured vehicle | Véhicule blindé |
| Military base | Base militaire |
French wartime vocabulary and expressions
Here are some more important terms you should learn (general wartime terms and expressions).
| English | French |
|---|---|
| An armed conflict | Un conflit armé |
| A declaration of war | Une declaration de guerre |
| Ceasefire | Cessez-le-feu |
| Soldier | Soldat |
| A peace treaty | Un traité de paix |
| The enemy | L’ennemi |
| A combat | Un combat |
| A massacre | Un massacre |
| An alliance | Une alliance |
| A spy | Un espion |
| An invasion | Une invasion |
| Battlefield | Champ de bataille |
| War | La guerre |
Example sentences
If you’re not sure how the French war vocabulary above is used, look at the example sentences below.
Le conflit armé s’est aggravé.
Touts les pays veulent négocier et accepter un traité de paix.
L’alliance négocie avec l’ennemi pour mettre fin à la guerre.
Les deux parties ne veulent pas se rendre, mais elles peuvent négocier.
L’invasion était attendue, mais les deux pays espèrent convenir d’un cessez-le-feu.
De nombreux pays veulent éviter une déclaration de guerre.
Les soldats veulent la fin de la guerre.
La situation est difficile sur le champ de bataille.
Other war-related French vocabulary
There are a few other words we can add to the list of war-related French vocabulary above.
I’ve included a handful of other words and phrases in the table here to help you understand more about the military and conflicts.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Artillery | L’artillerie |
| Ammunition | Les munitions |
| Retreat | La retraite |
| War criminal | Le criminal de guerre |
| Civilian | Les civils |
| Surrender | La reddition/l’abandon |
| War strategy | Stratégie de guerre |
| The wounded | Le blesse/la blessure |
Wartime reporting in French (examples)
If you’re wondering how French reporters use the phrases above, consider the sample sentences here.
Le pays était menace par l’artillerie.
Les troupes se sont retirées du danger.
Protéger les civils et les garder en sécurité.
Notre stratégie de guerre n’a pas à se produire. Nous pouvons négocier.
Emmenez les soldats blessés à la base.
The vocab and expressions above are a useful starting point for active servicemen (or anyone interested in French wartime literature).
The example dialogues will help you identify some common structures and themes.
If there’s anything I missed or should add, let me know.
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