Polyglot Dictionary

matière

/ma.tjɛʁ/

la noun A2

le (masc.) la (fem.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

N Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Core Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

plural
les matières

Meaning

  1. (school) subject

    • Les mathématiques sont sa matière préférée.

      Mathematics is his favorite subject.

N Category Place Concreteness Concrete Animacy Inanimate Countability Countable Scope Individual

Similar words

discipline

discipline is the formal academic term for a school subject, and separately means "discipline" as in self-control; matière (subject) is the everyday, casual word.

Similar in other languages

German

Materie

Materie is the German word for the same thing — both mean "matter, subject."

German

Disziplin

Disziplin can mean an academic field or self-discipline; the French matière specifically means a school subject or academic matter.

Portuguese

disciplina

matière is the French word for the same thing — both mean "subject, discipline."

Practice

1 What does matière mean?

2 Fill the gap: Les mathématiques sont sa ___ préférée.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches matière?

noun

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