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samouraï

samurai

noun sa-moo-RAH-ee Rare
People & Society Government

Origin: Borrowed from Japanese 侍 (samurai), the warrior class of feudal Japan.

Usage Note

Samouraï is the standard French spelling for the Japanese warrior, with the accent on the final syllable. It is invariable in the plural — des samouraïs or simply des samouraï. The word appears frequently in French pop culture, film titles, and martial arts discourse. The tréma (ï) indicates the 'i' is pronounced separately from the preceding 'a'.

Examples

"Le samouraï porte un katana."

Natural Translation

The samurai carries a katana.

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