So yesterday I was scrolling through YouTube, saw some philosophy clip, and suddenly heard like five different ways to pronounce "Sartre." Got me thinking – if even smart folks mess it up, it must be tricky. So I decided, right then, I’m gonna figure this out once and for all.
First, I tried saying it my usual way.
Just went with "Sar-tur." You know, like "star" plus "ter." Said it out loud a few times. Felt... off. I knew Sartre was French, and my version sounded way too American. Like pronouncing "croissant" as "croy-sant." Just wrong.
Then, I dove into YouTube videos.
Typed "how to pronounce Sartre" and clicked every result. Listened to French speakers say it. Repeated after them like a parrot. First try: "Sarrr-truh?" Close but... too much R? Felt like I needed to gargle and say it at the same time. Totally weird.
I noticed two big things tripping me up:
- The French "R": It’s not the English R at all. It’s way back in the throat, kinda harsh. Kept wanting to use my tongue tip, but French R uses the back? Like clearing your throat.
- The ending: Not "ter" or "tray," which I heard sometimes. More like a soft "truh," almost swallowed. Super subtle.
Broke it down sound by sound.
Sat in my chair, probably looked ridiculous. Tried just making the French R sound alone, like "rrrrrr." Sounded like a dying motor. Kept hacking at it. Watched mouth diagrams – saw the tongue curls down while the back kinda constricts. Super unnatural for me.
Practiced "Sar-" with that weird R for like ten minutes. Tried starting with "Sah" (like "father"), then adding that gritty R right after. Messy. Spilled my coffee. Ugh.
Finally putting it together.
After a bunch of fails, I slowed way down. Took a breath. Said: "Sah-" (tongue down, mouth open), then immediately grunted that back-of-the-throat "rrr" sound – trying to make it short and sharp – and finished fast with a light "truh." Almost dropping the 'u' sound.
Played a native speaker saying it. Did mine side-by-side. Sounded... closer? Not perfect, but way less American.
My hack now:
- Think "Sahr" – but the "hr" part is that throat rasp.
- Cut the 't' sound almost like a soft 'd'. "Sar-d" but quicker.
- End abruptly like you’re stopping yourself. "Sar-truh" → "Sartr-" (barely any "uh").
Keep practicing. Every hour or so today, just said "Sartre" out loud once. Still feels awkward, but less wrong. Key seems to be accepting the French R sucks to learn and just embracing the throat weirdness. No wonder people butcher it!
