Published January 18, 2024 • Updated November 5, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Chemin meaning
Chemin (m.) is a French masculine noun meaning “path,” “way,” “road,” or “trail.” It’s used to describe physical routes, such as walking paths and hiking trails, as well as distances and journeys. It also appears in common expressions such as à mi-chemin (halfway), faire son chemin (to make one’s way), and tous les chemins mènent à Rome (all roads lead to Rome).
Chemin pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of chemin is /ʃə.mɛ̃/, which sounds approximately like “shuh-mahn.”
Chemin example sentences
Ce chemin mène au centre-ville.
This road leads to the center of town.
Nous habitons à mi-chemin entre Paris et Lille.
We live halfway between Paris and Lille.
Il y a de très bons chemins de randonnée à Chamonix.
There are very good hiking trails in Chamonix.
Sylvie passe quelques mois en Espagne pour faire le chemin de Compostelle.
Sylvie is spending a few months in Spain to do the Camino de Santiago.
Si tu travailles fort, au bout du chemin tu réussiras !
If you work hard you’ll succeed in the end.
Tous les chemins mènent à Rome.
All roads lead to Rome.
👉 See also: Rue (road) »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- à mi-chemin — halfway
- faire son chemin — to make one’s way
- chemin de randonnée — hiking trail
- chemin de fer — railway
- chemin de traverse — shortcut, back road
- faire du chemin — to make progress, to come a long way
- tous les chemins mènent à Rome — all roads lead to Rome
📚 Related lessons
👉 Ne pas y aller par quatre chemins (expression) »
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