Olympics in French: Let’s Begin!
Paris 2024 gave French learners a new way to talk about sport, the city, and its culture. Here are the words and stories worth revisiting.
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What makes this such an excellent way to develop your language abilities?French vocabulary related to the OlympicsSentences for talking about the Olympic GamesConclusionVisons l’or ! (Let’s aim for gold!)
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games gave French learners plenty to talk about. Whether you watched the events or are revisiting their highlights, the vocabulary below can help you describe what happened and share your reactions in French.
You’ll also learn about two memorable parts of the Games: the Eiffel Tower iron in the medals and the swimming events held in the Seine.
What makes this such an excellent way to develop your language abilities?
Major sporting events give you a reason to use French beyond an exercise book. You can describe a result, ask someone which event they enjoyed, or compare what happened in Paris with other Games. Knowing a little about the venues and medals makes those conversations more interesting.
Take home a true piece of Paris
Paris 2024 medalists received more than gold, silver, or bronze: an 18-gram hexagon of original Eiffel Tower iron sat at the centre of each medal. Jewellery house Chaumet designed the medals, and the Monnaie de Paris produced them.
Paris 2024 produced 5,084 medals for the Olympic and Paralympic Games combined. The hexagon evokes the geographical shape of France and gave medalists a tangible piece of Paris to take home. Source: Paris 2024 sustainability report.
Did athletes swim in the Seine?
Yes. The Seine hosted the swimming legs of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events during Paris 2024. Water quality was a concern before and during the Games: the men’s triathlon was postponed by a day after tests failed to provide sufficient assurance.
The events ultimately went ahead in the river. Paris 2024 reported that water quality met the applicable standards during its five Olympic triathlon and marathon swimming competitions. Source: Paris 2024 event assessment.
The preparations were part of a wider plan to improve the Seine. In 2025, Paris opened three designated public swimming sites. Swimming elsewhere in the river remains restricted, so visitors should use the authorised sites and check whether they are open. Source: City of Paris.
French vocabulary related to the Olympics
To help you get started, here are some useful French vocabulary words related to the Olympics.
- French word/phraseEnglish translation
- Les Jeux olympiques (French people say les JO, for short)The Olympic Games
- La médaille d’orGold medal
- La médaille d’argentSilver medal
- La médaille de bronzeBronze medal
- Le nouveau recordNew record
- Un hexagone de ferIron hexagon
- La tour EiffelEiffel Tower
- La SeineThe Seine (river)
- Le drapeauFlag
- La cérémonie d’ouvertureOpening ceremony
- Les Jeux paralympiquesThe Paralympic Games
- Les siègesSeats
- Une épreuve sportiveSports event
- L’entraîneurCoach
- L’athlèteAthlete
- Le footballSoccer
- Le tennisTennis
- La natationSwimming
- Le surfSurfing
- L’équipe nationaleNational team
- Le stadeStadium
- La flamme olympiqueOlympic flame
Sentences for talking about the Olympic Games
Let’s take a look at a few phrases to see how you’d use them in a sentence.
- French sentenceEnglish translation
- Imagine ! On a nagé dans la Seine !Imagine! People swam in the Seine!
- Avez-vous suivi les JO de Paris 2024 ?Did you follow the Paris 2024 Olympics?
- Saviez-vous que l’épreuve de surf s’est déroulée à Tahiti ?Did you know the surfing event took place in Tahiti?
- Quelle est ton épreuve sportive préférée aux JO ?What is your favorite event at the Olympic Games?
- Connais-tu des athlètes français qui ont participé aux JO de Paris 2024 ?Do you know any French athletes who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
- Pouvez-vous le croire ? Elle a remporté l’épreuve !Can you believe it? She won the event!
- Avez-vous déjà assisté aux JO ?Have you ever attended the Olympic Games?
- Paris 2024 comptait quatre sports additionnels : le breaking, le skateboard, l’escalade sportive et le surf.Paris 2024 featured four additional sports: breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.
- Connaissez-vous quelqu’un qui a participé aux JO de Paris 2024 ?Do you know anyone who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
- Super ! Un nouveau record !Wow! A new record!
- Avez-vous déjà visité la France ?Have you visited France before?
- Êtes-vous vous-même un(e) athlète ?Are you an athlete yourself?
Conclusion
The Paris 2024 Games may be over, but they still offer plenty to talk about in French. Pick an event you remember, describe what happened using the words above, and ask a friend what they thought.
Allez, tout le monde !
