Published August 22, 2024 • Updated September 20, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Autrui meaning
Autrui is a B2-C1 French pronoun meaning “others” or “other people”. It’s most often used in formal, literary, philosophical, or legal contexts rather than in everyday conversation. You will commonly see it in expressions such as respecter autrui (to respect others) and nuire à autrui (to harm others). In more casual French, speakers will usually use les autres instead.
Autrui pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of autrui is /o.tʁɥi/, which sounds approximately like “oh-trwee.”
Autrui example sentences
Il faut respecter la vie privée d’autrui.
You have to respect the privacy of others.
Ne fais pas à autrui ce que tu ne voudrais pas qu’on te fasse.
Do not do to others what you wouldn’t want others to do to you.
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🪶 Word origin
Autrui comes from Old French altrui, which developed from the Latin alteri / alterius, related to alter, meaning “the other” or “another.” Over time, altrui evolved into modern French autrui, referring to “other people” or “others” in a general sense.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- les autres — others, other people
- le prochain — one’s fellow man, one’s neighbor
- son semblable — one’s fellow human being
- respecter autrui — to respect others
- le respect d’autrui — respect for others
- nuire à autrui — to harm others
- penser à autrui — to think of others
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