Skip to content

permanent

permanent

adjective pehr-mah-NAHN Rare

Also means

ongoing

Usage Note

Permanent as a noun in feminine (une permanente) means a hair perm — a false cognate trap. In masculine use as an adjective or noun, un permanent can refer to a full-time union official. The adverb en permanence ('permanently', 'constantly') is a very common fixed phrase.

Examples

"Ce bruit est permanent et insupportable."

Natural Translation

This noise is permanent and unbearable.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

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

Explore French by topic