sujet

Sujet is a French noun with several related meanings centered on the idea of what is being considered, described, or acted upon. In general use, it denotes the topic or theme of a discussion, inquiry, or work. Etymologically, sujet comes from Latin subjectum, from sub- “under” + jacere “to throw,” conveying the sense of something placed under consideration.

In grammar and linguistics, sujet refers to the syntactic subject: the noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb or about which the predicate makes a statement. In French, the verb conjugation agrees with the sujet. The sujet can be explicit or implied; in passive constructions, the sujet may be obscured or moved.

In art, literature, film, and other media, sujet denotes the subject matter—the person, event, or situation depicted or explored. The term is also used to describe the theme of a work; for example, the sujet of a painting might be a landscape, a portrait, or a mythological scene.

In everyday language, sujet is often interchangeable with thème or matière in some contexts, though usage varies by nuance. Common phrases include sujet de discussion (topic of discussion), sujet sensible (sensitive topic), and sujet du jour (topic of the day). The plural form is sujets.

See also: subject (grammar), theme, topic, subject matter.