karaté

karate

noun kah-rah-TEH Rare

Origin: Japanese karate (empty hand)

Usage Note

Karaté is borrowed directly from Japanese, meaning 'empty hand' — a reference to unarmed combat. In French, a practitioner is un karatéka. The accent on the final é reflects the French pronunciation of the borrowed word, distinguishing it from an unstressed schwa ending.

Examples

"Elle pratique le karaté depuis l'âge de sept ans."

Natural Translation

She has been practising karate since the age of seven.

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