French · People & Family

"Writer" in French: écrivain(e)

l'écrivain(e)

Say it: leh-kree-VANnoun/e.kʁi.vɛ̃/

Writer in French is l'écrivain (man) or l'écrivaine (woman). Elle est écrivaine means she is a writer. You may also hear auteur / autrice for author roles.

Book club

Cet écrivain habite à Lyon.
This writer lives in Lyon.
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How to pronounce écrivain(e)

Say it

leh-kree-VAN

/e.kʁi.vɛ̃/

Écrivain: eh-kree-VAN with nasal an. Écrivaine: eh-kree-VEN with clearer n.

"Writer" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
l'écrivainthe writer (m)

Masculine.

l'écrivainethe writer (f)

Feminine.

écrivain de romansnovelist

Genre.

les écrivainswriters

Plural.

How to use écrivain(e) in real life

  1. 1Book club

    Cet écrivain habite à Lyon.

    This writer lives in Lyon.

    Cet écrivain.

  2. 2Festival poster

    L'écrivaine signe ses livres à dix-sept heures.

    The writer signs her books at five p.m.

    L'écrivaine.

  3. 3Career chat

    Mon oncle est écrivain depuis longtemps.

    My uncle has been a writer for a long time.

    Est écrivain.

Mistakes English speakers make with écrivain(e)

Incorrect: Elle est écrivain (older style only).

Correct: Elle est écrivaine.

Prefer écrivaine for a woman today.

Incorrect: Il est un écrivain (often heavy).

Correct: Il est écrivain.

Professions often skip un after être.

Good to know

Book festivals and dédicaces (signings) are common. Écrivain(e) sounds literary; for journalism people may say journaliste or auteur instead.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Leaving a reading

  1. ChatPal

    L'écrivain parlait trop vite, non ?

    The writer was talking too fast, right?

  2. You

    Un peu. Mais l'écrivaine d'après était claire.

    A bit. But the next writer was clear.

  3. ChatPal

    Tu as acheté son livre ?

    Did you buy her book?

  4. You

    Oui, pour le train.

    Yes, for the train.

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"Writer" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Writer" in French

How do you say writer in French?

L'écrivain / l'écrivaine.

Écrivain or auteur?

Both work; écrivain feels literary, auteur/autrice is broader.

How do you say she is a writer?

Elle est écrivaine.

How do you pronounce écrivain?

eh-kree-VAN.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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