maharani

maharani (Indian queen or princess)

noun mah-ah-RAH-nee Rare

Origin: Sanskrit maharājñī, from mahā (great) + rājñī (queen)

Usage Note

Maharani entered French as a loanword during the era of European fascination with the Indian subcontinent. It denotes the wife of a maharaja or a queen in her own right. In popular French culture it can also describe a woman of extravagant elegance — elle se prend pour une maharani.

Examples

"La maharani était couverte de bijoux précieux."

Natural Translation

The maharani was covered in precious jewels.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read