French · People & Family
"Elderly person" in French: personne âgée
la personne âgée
An elderly person in French is often la personne âgée, feminine as a set phrase. Les personnes âgées is the plural. Soft, respectful tone matters more than synonyms.
Bus seat
Laisse ta place à cette personne âgée.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce personne âgée
Say it
lah pehr-SONN ah-ZHAY
/la pɛʁ.sɔn a.ʒe/
pehr-SONN ah-ZHAY. Âgée has soft g (zh) and final ay. Keep the full phrase.
"Elderly person" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la personne âgée | the elderly person Default respectful phrase. | Default respectful phrase. |
| les personnes âgées | elderly people Plural. | Plural. |
| une personne âgée | an elderly person Indefinite. | Indefinite. |
| aider une personne âgée | to help an elderly person Offers of help. | Offers of help. |
How to use personne âgée in real life
- 1Bus seat
Laisse ta place à cette personne âgée.
Give your seat to this elderly person.
Personne âgée full phrase.
- 2Neighborhood
Une personne âgée habite au rez-de-chaussée.
An elderly person lives on the ground floor.
Une personne âgée.
- 3Volunteer work
On livre des courses aux personnes âgées le vendredi.
We deliver groceries to elderly people on Fridays.
Aux personnes âgées.
Mistakes English speakers make with personne âgée
Incorrect: Un elderly.
Correct: Une personne âgée.
Use personne âgée, not English elderly.
Incorrect: Un vieux (as the polite default for a stranger).
Correct: Une personne âgée.
Vieux can sound blunt; personne âgée is softer in public talk.
Good to know
Public signs say places réservées aux personnes âgées. Families say mes grands-parents when they mean specific people, not the category.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
On the tram
ChatPal
Tu vois la personne âgée près de la porte ?
Do you see the elderly person near the door?
You
Oui, je me lève pour la personne âgée.
Yes, I'll stand up for the elderly person.
ChatPal
Merci, c'est gentil.
Thanks, that's kind.
You
Avec plaisir.
My pleasure.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Elderly person" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Elderly person" in French
How do you say elderly person in French?
La personne âgée.
Plural?
Les personnes âgées.
Is vieux ok?
It can sound blunt; personne âgée is safer for strangers.
How do you pronounce âgée?
ah-ZHAY.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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