cessez-le-feu

ceasefire

noun seh-seh-luh-FUH Rare

Usage Note

Cessez-le-feu is a compound noun built from the imperative cessez (cease) plus le feu (the fire), forming the command 'cease fire'. It is invariable in the plural (des cessez-le-feu). It is the standard diplomatic and journalistic term for an armistice or truce in French.

Examples

"Les deux parties ont signé un cessez-le-feu fragile."

Natural Translation

Both parties signed a fragile ceasefire.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Object Pronouns: le, la, lui, leur Order

Le lui or lui le? Use the à-name test to pick le/la vs lui/leur, then one slot chart to order two French object pronouns — plus the command exception.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French False Friends: 25 Faux Amis to Avoid

French false friends look like English words but mean something else: actuellement is not actually, sensible means sensitive. Here are 25 faux amis to avoid.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

The Bonjour Rule: French Etiquette for Visitors

Always say bonjour before you ask, order, or pay in France — the unspoken rule that opens every door. A respectful visitor's guide to French etiquette.

June 4, 2026 6 min read