Mort (or its feminine form, morte) is the most common way to say "dead" in French.

But just like in English, the French language offers a surprising number of other ways to express this concept, from formal terms to colorful slang, and for various situations.

Understanding these different expressions isn't just about expanding your vocabulary; it's about grasping the nuances of French conversation, literature, and even everyday speech.

So, whether you're talking about a literal passing, something no longer working, or just a funny idiom, let's explore 9 different ways to say "dead" in French!

The most common 'dead' or 'deceased' – mort/morte

Mort(e) is the most common and versatile word for 'dead' or 'deceased' in French.

Like many French adjectives, mort(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You'll encounter it in these forms:

mort - masculine singular (e.g., un homme mort - a dead man)
morte - feminine singular (e.g., une femme morte - a dead woman)
morts - masculine plural (e.g., des hommes morts - dead men)
mortes - feminine plural (e.g., des femmes mortes - dead women)

This word is widely used in both formal and informal contexts to describe a state of lifelessness, making it your primary choice for 'dead' in French.

While primarily meaning 'dead' or 'deceased', mort(e) can also be used metaphorically or to describe things that are no longer functioning or active.

Mort(e) functions primarily as an adjective, but the masculine singular form mort can also be used as a noun, meaning 'a dead person' or 'death' itself in certain expressions.

As an adjective, it directly modifies a noun. For instance, Le chat est mort (The cat is dead) or Elle a trouvé une feuille morte (She found a dead leaf).

When used as a noun, it often refers to a deceased individual, as in Les morts (The dead/deceased). It also appears in common expressions like être mort de rire (to be dead with laughter, i.e., laughing hard) or un point mort (a dead end/standstill).

Fortunately, the context usually makes it clear whether mort(e) refers to literal death, a metaphorical state, or a deceased person. Pay attention to the surrounding words and the sentence structure.

French is rich with expressions using mort. Beyond mort de rire, you might hear mort de faim (starving, literally 'dead from hunger') or mort de fatigue (dead tired). These highlight its versatility in everyday language.

💡 * Il est mort hier. (He died yesterday.)

La fleur est morte. (The flower is dead.)

Nous étions morts de fatigue après la randonnée. (We were dead tired after the hike.)

Les morts ont été honorés. (The deceased were honored.)

C'est une langue morte. (It's a dead language.)

The formal 'deceased' or 'passed away' – décédé(e)

When discussing someone who has passed away, especially in a formal context, the French adjective décédé(e) is the most appropriate and respectful term to use. It directly translates to 'deceased' or 'passed away'.

You will frequently encounter décédé(e) in official documents, obituaries, news reports, and when speaking about someone's death with a degree of formality or reverence. It's the go-to term for conveying respect and seriousness.

As an adjective, décédé(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So, it can be décédé (masculine singular), décédée (feminine singular), décédés (masculine plural), or décédées (feminine plural).

While mort (dead) exists, décédé(e) carries a much softer, more respectful, and less blunt connotation. It's preferred in most situations where politeness and sensitivity are paramount, akin to saying 'passed away' instead of 'died' in English.

Common phrases include 'être décédé(e)' (to be deceased/to have passed away) or 'le défunt/la défunte' (the deceased person), with décédé(e) often used as a predicate adjective with être.

💡 *Son grand-père est décédé l'année dernière. (His grandfather passed away last year.)
*La victime a été déclarée décédée sur les lieux. (The victim was declared deceased at the scene.)
*Les personnes décédées dans l'accident. (The people deceased in the accident.)
*Elle est décédée paisiblement dans son sommeil. (She passed away peacefully in her sleep.)
*Nous avons appris que votre mère est décédée. (We learned that your mother passed away.)

The 'late' (referring to someone recently deceased) – feu(e)

The French word feu(e) is used to refer to someone who has recently passed away, translating to 'late' in English. It's a term you might encounter in official documents, literature, or when discussing historical figures.

As an adjective, feu(e) agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The feminine form is feue, and the plural forms are feus (masculine plural) and feues (feminine plural).

Generally, feu(e) is placed before the article (if any) or the noun it describes. For example, feu le roi (the late king) or la feue reine (the late queen).

There's an important exception: feu remains invariable (does not change for gender or number) when it is immediately followed by a possessive adjective (e.g., mon, ton, son) or by an article directly preceding a proper noun. For instance, feu ma mère (my late mother) or feu la Marquise (the late Marquise).

Feu(e) carries a rather formal, sometimes literary, or administrative tone. While understood, it's not typically used in everyday casual conversation to refer to a recently deceased loved one.

In more common speech, people often use phrases like défunt(e) (deceased), qui est décédé(e) (who passed away), or simply refer to the person by name, implying their passing from context.

💡 * Feu mon père était un homme sage. (My late father was a wise man.)* La feue comtesse a laissé une grande fortune. (The late countess left a large fortune.)* Ils parlent souvent de feu le président. (They often talk about the late president.)* Sa feue épouse lui manque beaucoup. (He misses his late wife very much.)* Les feus rois de France ont marqué l'histoire. (The late kings of France marked history.)

The 'departed' or 'passed away' (more literary) – trépassé(e)

The term trépassé(e) translates to 'departed' or 'passed away' in English. It carries a distinctly literary, formal, or even archaic tone, setting it apart from common vocabulary for death.

As an adjective (or a past participle used as an adjective), trépassé(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, un homme trépassé (a departed man) vs. une femme trépassée (a departed woman) or les âmes trépassées (the departed souls).

Trépassé(e) is rarely used in everyday conversation. Instead, you'll encounter it in literature, poetry, historical texts, or in contexts where a solemn or dramatic effect is desired, often to evoke a sense of the past or to be euphemistic in a grander way than décédé(e).

The verb trépasser itself means 'to die,' but like its adjectival form, it is highly formal and literary. It implies a passing from life to death, often with a sense of ceremony or finality, rather than a simple, blunt statement of death.

💡 *Le corps du trépassé fut découvert au lever du jour. (The body of the deceased was discovered at dawn.)
*La princesse trépassée reposait dans son tombeau. (The departed princess rested in her tomb.)
*Les trépassés de la guerre furent honorés. (The war dead were honored.)
*Elle a lu un poème sur les âmes trépassées. (She read a poem about the departed souls.)

The 'expired' (can be used for people, but also for things) – expiré(e)

The French adjective expiré(e) directly translates to 'expired' or 'out of date'. It's highly versatile, applicable to both objects and people, though its nuance shifts depending on the context.

As an adjective, expiré(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use expiré for masculine singular, expirée for feminine singular, expirés for masculine plural, and expirées for feminine plural.

Most commonly, you'll hear expiré(e) when referring to things that have passed their validity date, such as food products, passports, subscriptions, or contracts. It signifies that something is no longer valid or usable.

When applied to people, expiré(e) takes on a more metaphorical and often critical meaning. It can suggest someone is 'past their prime,' 'outdated,' or no longer relevant in a particular field or social circle. This usage is generally informal and can be perceived as slightly harsh or judgmental.

Therefore, while grammatically correct, exercise caution when using expiré(e) for individuals. For objects, it's a straightforward descriptor, but for people, it carries a strong implication of obsolescence or irrelevance.

💡 * Ce yaourt est expiré, il faut le jeter. (This yogurt is expired, we need to throw it away.)

Mon passeport est expiré, je dois le renouveler. (My passport is expired, I need to renew it.)

Le contrat de location est expiré depuis hier. (The rental contract expired yesterday.)

Certains pensent que son style est un peu expiré pour la mode actuelle. (Some think his style is a bit outdated for current fashion.)

The 'lying dead' or 'prostrate' (often describes a body) – gisant(e)

The French adjective gisant(e), derived from the archaic verb gésir (to lie, to be situated), describes something or someone 'lying down' or 'lying flat.' It carries a specific, often solemn connotation, primarily used to refer to a body, typically one that is dead, wounded, or prostrate.

Its most common and historically significant application is in funerary art. A gisant (masculine) or gisante (feminine) refers to a recumbent effigy, a sculpted representation of a deceased person lying on a tomb. These figures are often depicted in a state of peaceful repose, prayer, or even as if recently deceased.

Beyond art, gisant(e) can also be used in a more general, yet still formal or literary, context to describe a person or animal lying prostrate due to injury, exhaustion, unconsciousness, or defeat. It implies a state of helplessness or immobility, often with a sense of gravity or tragedy.

As an adjective, gisant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (e.g., un corps gisant, une victime gisante, des statues gisantes). It evokes a powerful image of stillness and vulnerability, often lending a poetic or dramatic quality to descriptions of fallen figures.

💡 * Le chevalier était représenté gisant sur son sarcophage. (The knight was represented lying on his sarcophagus.)

Après l'accident, la victime a été trouvée gisante sur la chaussée. (After the accident, the victim was found lying prostrate on the roadway.)

Au lever du jour, plusieurs corps gisant sur le champ de bataille témoignaient de la violence du combat. (At dawn, several bodies lying on the battlefield bore witness to the violence of the combat.)

Une statue gisante orne le tombeau de la reine. (A recumbent statue adorns the queen's tomb.)

The noun for 'the deceased' or 'the departed' – le/la défunt(e)

To refer to someone who has passed away, French uses the noun le/la défunt(e), meaning 'the deceased' or 'the departed'. This term is often used in formal contexts, such as official documents, news reports, or eulogies.

While défunt(e) can function as an adjective meaning 'deceased' or 'late' (e.g., sa défunte mère - his late mother), it is very commonly substantivized, meaning it acts as a noun. In this form, it refers directly to the person who has died.

As with many French nouns derived from adjectives, défunt(e) changes its form to agree with the gender of the person it refers to. You will use le défunt for a male deceased person and la défunte for a female deceased person.

💡 * La défunte était une femme respectée dans la communauté. (The deceased was a respected woman in the community.)

Les proches du défunt se sont réunis pour la cérémonie. (The relatives of the departed gathered for the ceremony.)

On a retrouvé des documents importants appartenant au défunt. (Important documents belonging to the deceased were found.)

La défunte a laissé un héritage considérable. (The deceased left a considerable inheritance.)

The 'corpse' or 'dead body' – le cadavre

When referring to a 'corpse' or 'dead body' in French, the most common and direct term is le cadavre.

A masculine noun, le cadavre specifically denotes the lifeless body of a human or animal. It's often used in a formal, medical, or investigative context.

While le corps means 'the body' (living or dead), le cadavre exclusively refers to a deceased body, emphasizing its state of lifelessness. It carries a more stark and objective connotation.

This word is typically found in official reports, news articles, or scientific discussions, rather than casual conversation about a deceased loved one, where more empathetic terms would be used.

💡 * La police a découvert un cadavre dans la forêt. (The police discovered a corpse in the forest.)

L'autopsie du cadavre a révélé la cause du décès. (The autopsy of the corpse revealed the cause of death.)

Les archéologues ont trouvé des cadavres momifiés. (Archaeologists found mummified corpses.)

Le cadavre du lion était en décomposition. (The lion's carcass was decomposing.)

The slang 'dead body' or 'stiff' – le macchabée

In French slang, a common and rather macabre term for a 'dead body' or 'stiff' is le macchabée. This word is exclusively used in informal contexts and often carries a somewhat grim, sometimes even dark humorous, connotation.

The term macchabée comes from the Maccabees, an ancient Jewish priestly family, whose story involves many martyrs. Over time, in French, their name became associated with dead bodies, especially in a colloquial sense.

You'll most frequently encounter le macchabée in crime fiction, detective stories, or very casual, often dark conversations. It's important to remember its highly informal and somewhat disrespectful nature; it's not a term you would use in a formal setting or when referring to a deceased person with respect.

As a masculine noun, le macchabée remains consistent regardless of the gender of the deceased. The plural form is les macchabées. It refers strictly to a human corpse.

💡 *Les flics ont trouvé un macchabée dans la ruelle. (The cops found a stiff in the alley.)
*Il y avait des macchabées partout après la bataille. (There were dead bodies everywhere after the battle.)
*On a découvert un macchabée sous le pont. (A dead body was discovered under the bridge.)
*Le détective examinait le macchabée. (The detective was examining the stiff.)

Are there other ways to say 'dead' in French?

Our list has covered the most common ways to say 'dead' in French. However, the French language, like any vibrant tongue, offers a rich tapestry of expressions, including historical terms, regional variations, and contemporary slang that might not be immediately obvious.

To delve deeper, consider an online search for 'comment dire mort en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region. This can reveal fascinating localized expressions and cultural nuances.

When exploring these alternative terms for mort, you might encounter various euphemisms or more informal phrases. Always make sure to verify a word’s definition and observe its usage in context before incorporating it into your own vocabulary, especially with such a sensitive topic.

By immersing yourself in French media — reading, watching, and listening — you'll naturally discover different and often more nuanced ways people talk about death. This organic discovery is key to truly mastering the language.

For a comprehensive exploration of the word mort and its related vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, the WordReference entry for mort is an invaluable resource to consult.

I hope this article has been helpful in expanding your French vocabulary around the topic of death. Understanding these linguistic nuances deepens your connection to the language and its culture. As Voltaire wisely said, "Le travail éloigne de nous trois grands maux : l'ennui, le vice et le besoin." (Work keeps us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and and need.) Keep working on your French!

9 ways to say "dead" in French