How to pronounce Quarantaine in French?
Updated: March 25, 2023 by Mylene in How to PronounceArray ▪
La quarantaine
Quarantaine is a feminine noun in French that has two main meanings in English. The first meaning is quarantine and the second meaning is a quantity that is around forty. Quarantine is a period or a place of isolation in which people or animals are placed. The reasons for quarantine can differ but one common cause behind this restriction is whenever people or animals have arrived from abroad or have been exposed to an infectious or contagious disease.
Example:
- Il y aura une quarantaine d’invités à sa fête d’anniversaire. There will be around 40 guests at his birthday’s party.
- Mon chien a été placé en quarantaine à l’aéroport. My dog was placed in quarantine at the airport.
- Comme je suis contagieuse j’ai été placée en quarantaine. As I am contagious I was placed in quarantine.
- A cause de 10 cas de Covid-19, les passagers de ce navire ont été placés en quarantaine. Due to 10 cases of Covid-19, the passengers of this ship were placed in quarantine.
- Une quarantaine est une période d’isolement partiel ou total imposée à une personne ayant été exposée à une maladie infectieuse. Quarantine is a period of partial or total isolation imposed on a person who has been exposed to an infectious disease.
How to pronounce “Quarantaine”?
In French, quarantaine is pronounced /kaʀɑ̃tɛn/. In details:
- /k/ sound: To make /k/, lift the back of your tongue and press it against the soft palate, above your throat. Push air out of your throat, stopping it briefly behind your tongue before releasing it. Your vocal cords do not vibrate while making this sound.
- /a/ sound: The tongue is back, the mouth is opened and the lips are rounded.
- /r/ sound: The key to making /r/ is not letting the tip of your tongue touch the roof of your mouth. The tip of the tongue must touch the front lower teeth. Vibrate your vocal cords and let the air flow around and over your tongue.
- /ɑ̃/ sound: The mouth is opened and your tongue is back.
- /t/ sound: To make /t/, place the tip of your tongue on the ridge behind your upper teeth (but do not touch the teeth). As you push air out of your mouth, briefly stop it behind your tongue before releasing it. Do not vibrate your vocal cords as you make this sound.
- /ɛ/ sound: The tongue touches the front lower teeth, the muscles of your lips and mouth should be relaxed.
- /n/ sound: Place the front of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, behind your teeth. The tip of your tongue should touch the roof of your mouth. Now, vibrate your vocal cords.
This Instagram video will show you how to pronounce quarantaine in French. It’s part of our Effortless French Words Pronunciation series.
Click the link to listen to this video or directly play the video shown below.
Words and expressions related to quarantaine
The expression, mettre en quarantaine, dates back to the 17th century. Putting in quarantine meant isolating a person or a group of people suffering from a contagious disease for a period of forty days. Currently, the phrase “quarantined” can also mean excluding someone. Let’s learn some French expressions:
- Mid-life crisis at forty: la crise de quarantaine:
Je ne sais pas ce qu’il a, on va dire que c’est la crise de la quarantaine: I don’t know what’s his problem, let’s say it’s the mid-life crisis at forty! - You can put somebody or something in quarantine:
Cette lettre a été mise en quarantaine en raison de suspicion: This letter was quarantined due to suspicion. - Ma grand-mère est contagieuse, le médecin a décidé de la mettre en quarantaine: My grandmother is contagious, the doctor decided to place her in quarantine.
Verbs used with quarantaine
Below are few expressions with the word quarantaine used along with the verbs mettre (to put), placer (to place), lever (to lift).
- Mettre en quarantaine: to quarantine
Mon mari a été mis en quarantaine: My husband was quarantined. - Placer en quarantaine: to quarantine
Il a été testé positif au Covid-19, c’est pourquoi il a été placé en quarantaine: He was tested positive for Covid-19, that’s why he was placed in quarantine. - Lever la quarantaine: to lift the quarantine
J’ai hâte que le gouvernement lève la quarantaine: I look forward to the government lifting quarantine.
Social distancing
Distanciation sociale means social distancing in English. The social distancing wants to prevent the spread of a highly contagious disease. That means people need to maintain a safe distance from one another. Social distancing measures are more effective when the infectious disease spreads via droplet contact such as coughing or sneezing.
Example:
- En France, tout le monde doit pratiquer la distanciation sociale durant la pandémie: In France everyone should practice social distancing during the pandemic.
Confinement
Confinement is when you lock someone up to protect them or protect others. Le confinement means lockdown in English. And its verb is confiner that means “to confine”.
Example:
- Le 16 mars 2020, le président français, Emmanuel Macron, a annoncé l’obligation de se confiner à la maison pour une période de 15 jours à partir du 17 mars à midi: On 16 March, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced mandatory home confinement for 15 days starting at noon on 17 March.
- Les personnes ayant été en contact avec ce malade ont été soumises à un confinement par les autorités sanitaires: People who had been in contact with this patient were subjected to confinement by the health authorities.
- Certaines personnes sont confinées dans de petits appartements: Some people are confined to small apartments.
Another form of the verb confiner is “se confiner”. In this case, it means to shut yourself away. Il ne sortait plus et se confinait chez lui: He never went out and confined himself to his home.
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