What does sans in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word sans in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use sans in French.

The word sans in French means without, -less, without, -less, without + [present participle], without + [gerund], non-serious accident, labour pain management, act without any scruples, act without any qualms, bagless vacuum cleaner, blind landing, nonalcoholic beer, alcohol-free beer, soft drink, alcohol-free drink, still drink, there are no guarantees, this/that/it reminds you of, It goes without saying, bad cheque, bounced cheque, without batting an eye, without batting an eyelid, dropped, dismissed, closed, unpaid leave, unsecured loan, do without, do without it, get by without it, decision with no recourse to appeal, spend lavishly, complete domination, complete supremacy, think (that) butter wouldn't melt in 's mouth, quiet child, ordinary child, Come straight in, Come straight in, unleaded petrol, be irrevocable, be final, be final, be unconscious, not be important, be of no importance, be penniless, have no news of, be pitiless, have no pity on, have no scruples, be out of work, be without a job, have no job, have no work, be speechless, be speechless, be dumbstruck, certified GMO free, two-way mirror, stringless green bean, nonsensical story, story that makes no sense, deadpan humour, dry humour, there's no smoke without fire, every rose has its thorn, not a day goes by without + [noun + present participle], some days are better than others, things always come in threes, John Lackland, off day, leave unsupervised, leave speechless, fling, casual fling, short-lived fling, as long as a month of Sundays, ruthless struggle, fight to the bitter end, house that is not overlooked, non-serious illness, Médecins Sans Frontières, medication sold without prescription, thanks all the same, minister without portfolio, two-way mirror, do + [infinitive], Seriously?! Really?!, Really!, no thanks, I'm fine, not without, not without doing, not without difficulty, not without hesitation, not without trouble, not without reminding, no pain, no gain, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, payment in three interest-free instalments, contactless payment, talk about you know nothing about, leave without further ado, leave without further ado, leave without paying, leave without looking back, deadpan, deadpan comic, uncompromising portrait, uncompromising portrayal, smokeless powder, very deep well, bottomless pit, sleeveless sweater, salt-free diet, Reporters Without Borders, wireless network, remain unanswered, remain unanswered, not be pursued, not be followed up, be speechless, dead end, smoothly, subscription-free, pay as you go, irrespective of , regardless of, go without a hitch, without acrimony, without bitterness. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word sans

without

préposition (qui ne possède pas [qch])

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
Il est venu sans son chien. C'est une famille sans logement.
That family is homeless.

-less

préposition (qui ne contient pas [qch])

(suffix: Added to end of word stem--for example, friendless = friend+less.)
C'est une boisson sans sucre.
It was a sugar free drink.

without

préposition (en l'absence de)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
Sans vous, je n'aurais jamais réussi. Je ne peux pas vivre sans elle.
Without you, I would never have succeeded. I can't live without her.

-less

préposition (qui ne nécessite pas [qch])

(suffix: Added to end of word stem--for example, friendless = friend+less.)
C'est un travail sans effort.
It's an effortless job.

without + [present participle]

conjonction (indique une circonstance non réalisée)

(preposition: Relates noun or pronoun to another element of sentence--for example, "a picture of John," "She walked from my house to yours.")
Il est venu sans que je le sache.
ⓘCette phrase n'est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Unknown to me, she had already done it.

without + [gerund]

préposition (en ne réalisant pas [qch])

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
On ne peut pas vivre longtemps sans boire.
You can't live long without drinking.

non-serious accident

nom masculin (accident mineur)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

labour pain management

nom masculin (techniques de gestion de la douleur) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Des cours d'accouchement sans douleur sont proposées aux femmes enceintes en complément ou non de la péridurale.
Labour pain management classes are offered to pregnant women as well as or instead of an epidural.

act without any scruples, act without any qualms

locution verbale (agir sans scrupule)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cet homme d'affaires redoutable est connu pour agir sans états d'âme, il faut s'en méfier.

bagless vacuum cleaner

nom masculin (aspirateur avec réservoir)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

blind landing

nom masculin (atterrissage aux instruments) (aviation)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Avec un tel temps, les pilotes ont dû effectuer un atterrissage sans visibilité.

nonalcoholic beer, alcohol-free beer

nom féminin (bière non alcoolisée) (drink)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il s'agit d'une bière sans alcool, elle a le goût de la bière mais n'en a pas l'alcool.

soft drink, alcohol-free drink

nom féminin (boisson non alcoolisée)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

still drink

nom féminin (familier (boisson non gazeuse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

there are no guarantees

(figuré (ce n'est pas assuré)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Je te donne l'information mais c'est sans garantie du résultat que tu peux en obtenir.

this/that/it reminds you of

(cela rappelle [qch])

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

It goes without saying

(c'est implicite)

bad cheque, bounced cheque

nom masculin (chèque sans solde) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

without batting an eye, without batting an eyelid

locution adverbiale (en restant imperturbable) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
La vieille dame écouta la nouvelle sans ciller.

dropped, dismissed, closed

locution adjectivale (abandonné)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
L'affaire de vol de vélo fut classée sans suite.

unpaid leave

nom masculin (absence non rémunérée)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

unsecured loan

nom masculin (prêt sur l'honneur) (finance)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

do without

(faire en se passant de [qch])

(phrasal verb, transitive, inseparable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, not divisible--for example,"go with" [=combine nicely]: "Those red shoes don't go with my dress." NOT [S]"Those red shoes don't go my dress with."[/S])
Nous nous débrouillerons sans crème fraîche, nous prendrons du yaourt.
We'll make do without crème fraîche; we'll use yoghurt.

do without it, get by without it

verbe pronominal (faire sans)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
J'ai oublié l'ouvre-boîtes, nous devrons nous débrouiller sans.
I've forgotten the tin opener; we'll have to do without it.

decision with no recourse to appeal

nom féminin (décision irrévocable) (Legal)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

spend lavishly

locution verbale (dilapider son argent) (money)

complete domination, complete supremacy

nom féminin (suprématie absolue)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
L'équipe remporta le match après une domination sans partage.

think (that) butter wouldn't melt in 's mouth

(faire confiance à [qqn], être bienveillant) (figurative, informal)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ces enfants sont tellement mignons qu'on leur donnerait le bon Dieu sans confession.
Those children are so cute you'd think butter wouldn't melt in their mouths.

quiet child, ordinary child

nom masculin et féminin (enfant tranquille)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

Come straight in

(instruction sur une porte)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Sur la porte du cabinet du médecin se trouvait l'affiche « Entrez sans frapper ».

Come straight in

(instruction sur une porte)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Sur la porte du cabinet du médecin se trouvait l'affiche « Entrez sans sonner ».

unleaded petrol

nom féminin (carburant sans plomb) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette voiture fonctionne à l'essence sans plomb.

be irrevocable, be final

locution verbale (Droit : sans recours possible)

be final

locution verbale (figuré (indiscutable)

be unconscious

locution verbale (être évanoui)

Le SAMU l'a retrouvée dans sa salle de bain, elle était sans connaissance.

not be important, be of no importance

locution verbale (être négligeable)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

be penniless

locution verbale (ne pas avoir d'argent)

On ne peut pas faire de projet quand on est sans le sou.

have no news of

locution verbale (ne pas savoir où [qqn] en est)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cela fait trois semaines que je suis sans nouvelles de mon frère.

be pitiless, have no pity on

locution verbale (être extrêmement sévère)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

have no scruples

locution verbale (ne pas avoir d'états d'âme)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Il est sans scrupules, il obéit aveuglément aux ordres.

be out of work, be without a job, have no job, have no work

locution verbale (être au chômage)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Il n'est pas évident d'être sans travail à plus de 50 ans.

be speechless

locution verbale (figuré (être ébahi, ravi) (figurative)

be speechless, be dumbstruck

locution verbale (figuré (être stupéfait, choqué) (figurative)

certified GMO free

locution verbale (sans organisme génétiquement modifié) (food, drugs)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Valérie n'achète que des produits garantis sans OGM.

two-way mirror

nom féminin (miroir transparent sur une seule face)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La police place les suspects derrière la glace sans tain pour identification.

stringless green bean

nom masculin (haricot non filandreux)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

nonsensical story, story that makes no sense

nom féminin (histoire sans aucun sens)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Tous les commentaires se contredisent, personne n'a vu la même chose, c'est une histoire sans queue ni tête.
All the accounts contradict each other; no one saw the same as anyone else. I can't make head nor tail of it.

deadpan humour, dry humour

nom masculin (humour avec un air sérieux) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

there's no smoke without fire

(les rumeurs sont vraies)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu, cet homme politique est probablement corrompu.

every rose has its thorn

(chaque avantage a ses inconvénients) (figurative)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Aussi belle soit-elle, elle a aussi des défauts, il n'y a pas de rose sans épines !

not a day goes by without + [noun + present participle]

(c'est quotidien)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
ⓘCette phrase n'est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. This stretch of road is really dangerous. Not a day goes by without an accident occurring.

some days are better than others

(parfois on réussit et parfois on échoue)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

things always come in threes

(ce qui arrive 2 fois arrivera 3 fois)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
J'ai déjà raté mon train deux fois cette semaine, jamais 2 sans 3.

John Lackland

nom propre masculin (surnom d'un roi anglais) (medieval King of England)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Jean sans Terre était le fils d'Henri II d'Angleterre et d'Aliénor d'Aquitaine.

off day

nom masculin (un peu familier (jour où rien ne réussit) (informal)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
J'ai perdu 6-0, 6-0 contre un joueur beaucoup moins bien classé que moi : c'était vraiment un jour sans !
I lost 6-0, 6-0 against a player who's nowhere near as good as me. That's what you call an off day!

leave unsupervised

locution verbale (ne pas prêter attention à)

leave speechless

locution verbale (stupéfaire, abasourdir)

fling, casual fling, short-lived fling

nom féminin (courte relation amoureuse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Ce n'est qu'une amourette, une liaison sans lendemain.

as long as a month of Sundays

locution adjectivale (qui n'en finit pas)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

ruthless struggle, fight to the bitter end

nom féminin (lutte sans pitié)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

house that is not overlooked

nom féminin (maison sans maison en face)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

non-serious illness

nom féminin (maladie bénigne)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

Médecins Sans Frontières

nom propre masculin pluriel (organisation humanitaire)

(plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors.")
Louis part souvent en mission en Afrique avec Médecins sans Frontière.

medication sold without prescription

nom masculin (médicament vendable sans prescription)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

thanks all the same

nom masculin (expression de refus poli) (slightly informal)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
- Vous reprendrez bien un verre de vin ? - Non, merci, sans façon.

minister without portfolio

nom masculin (ministre sans responsabilité) (government)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

two-way mirror

nom masculin (vitre où l'on voit sans être vu)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

do + [infinitive]

(ne pas manquer de)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Seriously?! Really?!

interjection (sérieusement)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
Non, mais sans rire, tu as vraiment perdu ton travail ?

Really!

interjection (exprime l'irritation, l'agacement)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
Mais elle se prend pour qui, celle-là ? Je l'ai remise à sa place vite fait ! Non mais sans blague !

no thanks, I'm fine

(refus poli)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

not without

locution adverbiale (sans oublier de faire [qch])

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

not without doing

locution adverbiale (ayant vainement)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
I gave up but not without trying.

not without difficulty

locution adverbiale (difficilement)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

not without hesitation

locution adverbiale (avec réticence)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

not without trouble

locution adverbiale (difficilement)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

not without reminding

locution adverbiale (sans oublier [qch])

no pain, no gain

(il faut s'investir pour obtenir)

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

(il faut être prêt à des sacrifices)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

payment in three interest-free instalments

nom masculin (achat échelonné sans intérêts) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Pour acheter mon nouveau canapé, j'ai opté pour le paiement en trois fois sans frais.
To buy my new sofa, I chose to pay in three interest-free instalments.

contactless payment

nom masculin (type de paiement)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Avec la propagation du virus, il est fort possible que le paiement sans contact se généralise chez les commerçants.

talk about you know nothing about

locution verbale (parler en méconnaissance de cause)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

leave without further ado

locution verbale (partir rapidement, sans insister)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Nous étions tellement contents d'avoir gagné le gros lot que nous partîmes le récupérer sans attendre notre reste.

leave without further ado

locution verbale (partir rapidement, sans insister)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ce repas était minable, nous partîmes sans demander notre reste.

leave without paying

locution verbale (s'enfuir sans avoir payé)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

leave without looking back

locution verbale (figuré (partir sans regret)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

deadpan

adjectif invariable (drôle et impassible)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Son attitude pince-sans-rire est assez troublante.

deadpan comic

nom masculin invariable (drôle et impassible)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Myriam a toujours été une pince-sans-rire.

uncompromising portrait, uncompromising portrayal

nom masculin (portrait objectif)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

smokeless powder

nom féminin (substance explosive) (US)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

very deep well

nom masculin (puits très profond)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

bottomless pit

nom masculin (figuré (chose sans limite) (figurative)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

sleeveless sweater

nom masculin (tricot sans manches) (US)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

salt-free diet

nom masculin (alimentation sans sodium)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

Reporters Without Borders

nom propre (ONG luttant pour la presse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

wireless network

nom masculin (connexion informatique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Un réseau sans fil connecte différents postes ou systèmes entre eux par ondes radio.

remain unanswered

locution verbale (ne pas susciter de réaction)

Sa demande de bourse reste sans écho.

remain unanswered

locution verbale (ne pas avoir obtenu de réponse)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

not be pursued, not be followed up

locution verbale (ne pas avoir de conséquence)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cet incident resta sans suite.

be speechless

locution verbale (être stupéfait)

dead end

nom féminin (impasse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Nous habitons dans une rue sans issue.

smoothly

locution adverbiale (pas de complication, de contre-temps)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

subscription-free, pay as you go

locution adjectivale (à la carte)

irrespective of , regardless of

(sans considérer [qch])

go without a hitch

locution adverbiale (figuré (comme prévu, sans problème)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
L'entretien se déroula sans accroc.

without acrimony, without bitterness

locution adverbiale (sans méchanceté)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Il lui expliqua sans acrimonie pourquoi elle avait tort.

Let's learn French

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Related words of sans

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French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.