preposition
Very common
de
DEH
De (preposition) means used in French (and some other European) surnames and titles of nobility, meaning "of" or "from.". Example: “The letter was signed by a Monsieur de Villiers.”
preposition
1
Used in French (and some other European) surnames and titles of nobility, meaning "of" or "from."
"The letter was signed by a Monsieur de Villiers."
noun
1
The name of the Cyrillic letter Д/д.
"In Russian, the word "dom" begins with the letter de."
interjection
1
A meaningless syllable used to carry a tune or mark a rhythm when singing, similar to "la" or "da."
"She hummed "de de de" while trying to remember the melody."
How to use de
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly the small "of/from" word found in French names like "de Gaulle," though it also names a Cyrillic letter and can be a nonsense singing syllable.
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Word forms
- Plural
- des
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The letter was signed by a Monsieur _____ Villiers.
Etymology
The nobility particle comes from Latin "de" ("from, of"), inherited into French. The Cyrillic letter name is borrowed from Russian.
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “de” mean?
The word “de” means used in French (and some other European) surnames and titles of nobility, meaning "of" or "from.". In plain terms, most commonly the small "of/from" word found in French names like "de Gaulle," though it also names a Cyrillic letter and can be a nonsense singing syllable.
How do you pronounce “de”?
“De” is pronounced DEH (/ˈdɛ/ in IPA).
How do you use “de” in a sentence?
Here is “de” used in a sentence: “The letter was signed by a Monsieur de Villiers.”
What part of speech is “de”?
Depending on how it is used, “de” can be a preposition, a noun and an interjection.
Where does the word “de” come from?
The word “de” comes from Latin. The nobility particle comes from Latin "de" ("from, of"), inherited into French. The Cyrillic letter name is borrowed from Russian.
Is “de” a common word?
“De” is a very common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “de” have?
“De” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: used in French (and some other European) surnames and titles of nobility, meaning "of" or "from.".
What does 'de' mean in a name?
In French and several other European surnames, 'de' means 'of' or 'from.' It originally linked a person to a place or estate they came from or ruled — so a name like 'de Bourbon' meant 'of Bourbon.' Over time it became a fixed part of many family names.
What is the difference between 'de' and 'von'?
Both are nobiliary particles meaning 'of' or 'from,' but they belong to different languages. 'De' is French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian; 'von' is German and Austrian. Each historically signalled a link to a place or noble estate, and both survive today as parts of many surnames.
Should 'de' be capitalised in a surname?
Usually it is written in lower case when the full name is given, as in 'Charles de Gaulle.' However, when the surname stands alone at the start of a sentence, or by local convention, it may be capitalised — 'De Gaulle said.' Practice varies between individuals and countries.
What is an example of a name with 'de'?
French statesman Charles de Gaulle is a well-known case, as is the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and the writer Simone de Beauvoir. In each, 'de' sits between the first name and a family name that often began as a place, meaning roughly 'of' or 'from' that location.
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