"Important" (or its feminine form, "importante") is the most common way to say “important” in French. But just like in English, there are many other words you can use to express varying degrees of significance, urgency, or relevance. Expanding your vocabulary beyond the basics is crucial for sounding more natural and nuanced in any language. Knowing different ways to convey "important" will allow you to express yourself with greater precision and flair, whether you're discussing a crucial meeting or a vital piece of information. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "important" in French, and explore when and how to use each one!

The standard 'important' – important/importante

Important(e) is the most common and versatile French word for 'important'.

As an adjective, important(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here are its forms: important - masculine singular, importante - feminine singular, importants - masculine plural (or mixed gender plural), importantes - feminine plural.

Understanding the correct form is crucial for accurate communication. For instance, you would say un livre important (an important book, masculine singular) but une décision importante (an important decision, feminine singular).

Unlike some common French adjectives, important(e) almost always follows the noun it describes. For example, une réunion importante (an important meeting), not une importante réunion.

It's frequently used in impersonal constructions like C'est important de... (It's important to...) or Il est important que... (It is important that...). Remember that que often triggers the subjunctive mood.

Important(e) is a standard word used across all registers, from casual conversation to formal writing, making it a reliable choice in most contexts.

💡 * C'est une nouvelle importante. (It's important news.)

Il est important de bien dormir. (It's important to sleep well.)

Nous avons des documents importants à signer. (We have important documents to sign.)

Cette question est très importante. (This question is very important.)

Il a joué un rôle important dans l'équipe. (He played an important role in the team.)

The 'essential' – essentiel/essentielle

When you want to express that something is essential or crucial in French, the words you'll reach for are essentiel (masculine singular) and essentielle (feminine singular).

Essentiel means 'essential', 'fundamental', or 'vital'. Like many French adjectives, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For feminine nouns, you use essentielle.

The plural forms follow the same logic: essentiels for masculine plural nouns, and essentielles for feminine plural nouns. This agreement is fundamental to correct French grammar.

You'll find essentiel/essentielle used in a wide range of contexts, from describing necessary ingredients in a recipe (ingrédients essentiels) to vital components of a plan (une étape essentielle).

Beyond concrete items, essentiel is also used for abstract concepts. For example, 'the essential thing' can be expressed as l'essentiel, often referring to the core or most important part of something.

This adjective strongly conveys necessity and importance, often more so than simply important. It implies something without which a situation, object, or idea would be incomplete or non-functional.

💡 * L'eau est essentielle à la vie. (Water is essential for life.)

C'est un point essentiel de notre discussion. (This is an essential point of our discussion.)

Les vitamines sont essentielles pour la santé. (Vitamins are essential for health.)

Il est essentiel de bien comprendre les règles. (It is essential to understand the rules well.)

Le repos est essentiel après un long voyage. (Rest is essential after a long journey.)

The 'crucial' – crucial/cruciale

The French word crucial directly translates to 'crucial' or 'critical' in English, making it quite straightforward to understand and use.

Like many French adjectives, crucial changes form based on the gender and number of the noun it modifies. The masculine singular is crucial, feminine singular is cruciale, masculine plural is cruciaux, and feminine plural is cruciales.

You'll use crucial to describe something of extreme importance, a decisive moment, or a vital element that cannot be overlooked. It carries a strong sense of necessity and often implies a turning point.

It's frequently found in phrases like un moment crucial (a crucial moment), une étape cruciale (a crucial step), or un rôle crucial (a crucial role). Its meaning is quite emphatic, highlighting an essential factor.

While important also means 'important,' crucial conveys a higher degree of significance, often implying that the outcome depends on this particular element. Think of it as 'decisive' or 'pivotal' rather than just 'significant'.

💡 * C'est une décision cruciale pour l'avenir de l'entreprise. (It's a crucial decision for the future of the company.)* Les dernières étapes sont cruciales pour le succès du projet. (The last steps are crucial for the project's success.)* Son rôle est crucial dans cette équipe. (His role is crucial in this team.)* Nous sommes à un moment crucial de l'histoire. (We are at a crucial moment in history.)* Ces informations sont cruciales pour notre enquête. (This information is crucial for our investigation.)

The 'major' or 'significant' – majeur/majeure

The adjectives majeur (masculine) and majeure (feminine) translate to 'major,' 'significant,' 'important,' or 'of legal age' in French.

Like most French adjectives, majeur agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use majeur for masculine singular nouns and majeure for feminine singular nouns. For plurals, they become majeurs and majeures respectively.

One of the most frequent uses of majeur/majeure is to denote something of great importance or significance. For example, a 'major problem' would be un problème majeur.

Another key meaning of majeur/majeure is 'of legal age' (18 years old in France). A person who is legally an adult is referred to as une personne majeure or simply un/une majeur(e).

💡 * C'est un problème majeur. (It's a major problem.)

Elle a une influence majeure sur l'équipe. (She has a major influence on the team.)

Il est majeur depuis l'année dernière. (He has been of legal age since last year.)

Les décisions majeures seront prises demain. (The major decisions will be made tomorrow.)

Nous avons des défis majeurs à relever. (We have major challenges to overcome.)

The 'primordial' or 'fundamental' – primordial/primordiale

The French adjective primordial (masculine) and primordiale (feminine) translates to “primordial,” “fundamental,” or “essential” in English.

It describes something that is absolutely essential or of primary importance, often implying a foundational or originating significance. Think of it as the most basic and critical element.

As an adjective, primordial must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use primordial for masculine nouns (e.g., un besoin primordial) and primordiale for feminine nouns (e.g., une étape primordiale).

While similar to important or essentiel, primordial emphasizes an even deeper, more foundational level of necessity. It's often used in formal or academic contexts to highlight critical elements.

Choose primordial when you want to stress that something is not merely important, but genuinely indispensable, forming the very basis of something else.

💡 * La sécurité est une préoccupation primordiale. (Safety is a primordial/fundamental concern.)

L'accès à l'eau potable est primordial pour la survie. (Access to drinking water is primordial for survival.)

Il est primordial de bien comprendre les bases. (It is fundamental to understand the basics well.)

Son rôle dans l'équipe est primordial. (His role in the team is essential/fundamental.)

Ces facteurs primordiaux ont influencé le résultat. (These fundamental factors influenced the outcome.)

The 'vital' or 'capital' – capital/capitale

In French, the words capital (masculine) and capitale (feminine) primarily refer to a city (like la capitale de la France) or financial assets. However, they also serve as powerful adjectives to describe something as 'vital,' 'crucial,' or 'of utmost importance,' much like saying something is 'capital' in English in a more formal context.

As adjectives, capital and capitale must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For instance, you would say un point capital (a crucial point) when referring to a masculine noun, but une décision capitale (a vital decision) for a feminine noun. Understanding this agreement is key to using them correctly.

These terms are frequently used in situations demanding significant emphasis. You'll encounter them describing critical issues (une question capitale), essential roles (un rôle capital), or fundamental errors (une erreur capitale). They convey a sense of absolute necessity or gravity, often in professional, academic, or serious discussions.

Capital and capitale carry a strong, somewhat formal connotation. They are not casual everyday words but are reserved for moments when you truly want to stress the indispensable nature of something. Using them elevates the importance of your statement, indicating that the matter is truly 'of capital importance.'

💡 * C'est une question capitale pour l'avenir de notre entreprise. (This is a crucial question for the future of our company.)

Son rôle dans ce projet est capital. (His role in this project is vital.)

Il a commis une erreur capitale en ne vérifiant pas les données. (He made a critical error by not checking the data.)

La confiance est un élément capital dans toute relation. (Trust is a vital element in any relationship.)

Paris est la capitale de la France, mais aussi une ville capitale pour la mode. (Paris is the capital of France, but also a crucial city for fashion.)

The 'significant' or 'meaningful' – significatif/significative

To express something is 'significant' or 'meaningful' in French, you'll use the adjective significatif or significative.

Like many French adjectives, significatif must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. It becomes significative for feminine singular nouns, significatifs for masculine plural, and significatives for feminine plural nouns.

This adjective is frequently used to describe data, events, observations, or changes that hold particular importance or convey a deeper meaning. It often implies a noteworthy impact or relevance.

💡 * Les résultats de l'étude sont très significatifs. (The results of the study are very significant.)

C'est une avancée significative pour la recherche médicale. (This is a significant advance for medical research.)

Son absence était significative de son désintérêt pour le projet. (His absence was significant of his disinterest in the project.)

Nous avons observé des différences significatives entre les deux groupes. (We observed significant differences between the two groups.)

The 'dominant' or 'preponderant' – prépondérant/prépondérante

As an adjective, prépondérant (masculine) or prépondérante (feminine) means 'dominant,' 'preponderant,' or 'overriding.' It describes something that has greater weight, influence, or importance than others.

This term is often used in formal contexts, such as legal, political, or academic discussions, to highlight the decisive factor or the most significant element. Remember it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

You'll frequently encounter prépondérant when discussing an element that truly sways a decision, an opinion, or an outcome, indicating its superior weight or authority.

💡 * Son rôle a été prépondérant dans la décision finale. (His role was preponderant in the final decision.)

L'aspect économique est souvent prépondérant. (The economic aspect is often dominant.)

Elle a eu une influence prépondérante sur le projet. (She had a preponderant influence on the project.)

Les preuves prépondérantes ont conduit à la condamnation. (The preponderant evidence led to the conviction.)

The 'considerable' or 'of consequence' – de taille

In French, the phrase de taille is used to describe something that is considerable, significant, or of consequence. It's not just about physical size, but rather about importance, magnitude, or intensity.

While taille literally means 'size' or 'height', when paired with de, it takes on a more abstract meaning. Think of it as 'of a certain caliber' or 'of a certain magnitude'.

You'll often find de taille modifying nouns like problème (problem), défi (challenge), réussite (success), or obstacle (obstacle) to emphasize their importance or scale. For example, un problème de taille means 'a considerable problem' or 'a problem of significant magnitude'.

This phrase adds weight to the noun it describes, making it clear that the subject is not trivial. It's a concise way to convey that something is 'no small feat' or 'a big deal', highlighting its impact or difficulty.

💡 * C'est un défi de taille. (It's a considerable challenge.)

Elle a remporté une victoire de taille. (She won a significant victory.)

Nous faisons face à une tâche de taille. (We are facing a considerable task.)

La décision était de taille pour l'avenir de l'entreprise. (The decision was of consequence for the company's future.)

Ignorer ce risque serait une erreur de taille. (Ignoring this risk would be a considerable mistake.)

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

Are there other ways to say “important” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “important” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire important en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for important on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about what's important.

And if you’re looking for more ways to express importance or significance in French, the WordReference entry for important is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. (What is essential is invisible to the eyes.)

9 ways to say "important" in French