prétendant

suitor

noun preh-tahn-DAHN Rare

Origin: Latin 'praetendere' (to put forward, to claim)

Also means

claimant

Usage Note

Prétendant primarily means a suitor or wooer — a man who seeks a woman's hand in marriage — common in historical and literary contexts. It also means a claimant to a throne: le prétendant au trône (the pretender to the throne). The feminine prétendante exists but is rarer. The related verb prétendre means 'to claim' rather than 'to pretend' — a classic false friend for English speakers.

Examples

"Elle avait trois prétendants qui voulaient l'épouser."

Natural Translation

She had three suitors who wanted to marry her.

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

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Je t'aime vs Je t'adore: I Love You in French

Je t'aime is the real romantic I love you; je t'adore means warm fondness, not romance. Here's the person-vs-thing rule and the bien trap that flips it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Tu vs Vous: When to Use Each in French

Tu vs vous in French: use tu for one friend, family, or child, and vous for strangers, elders, your boss, and any group. A clear etiquette guide.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Filler Words: Euh, Bah, Du Coup, Quoi

French filler words like euh, bah, du coup, and quoi make you sound fluent, not lazy. Learn what each one does, where it goes, and how to use them naturally.

June 4, 2026 6 min read