Now that you just’ve acquired your grammar down pat, we are able to carry again the thrill with some difficult vocabulary, together with superior French verbs, adjectives and expressions.
On this publish, we’ll take a look at a listing of actually grown-up French phrases, starting from the tough, to the marginally naughty, to the very, very French.
On y go (an English-inflected French neologism of on y va, or “let’s go”)!
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Verbs
1. Aboutir à
To finish up with, to result in. Similar to English, French has numerous methods to explain causality.
La réunion a abouti à un compromis.
(The assembly led to a compromise.)
2. Affirmer que
To affirm, say with certainty. In search of some alternate options to dire (to say)? Do this one for added emphasis.
Il affirme que les commerçants de la area s’en sortent « plutôt bien » cette année.
(He affirms that the area’s shopkeepers are doing “fairly properly” this 12 months.)
3. Affubler
To stand up in or to deck oneself out in (referring to an article or articles of clothes). As an alternative of utilizing habiller (to decorate) or s’habiller (to decorate oneself), why not add a bit extra shade to your French and take a look at out affubler?
Marie affublait sa petite fille de gown de princesse pour aller au cinéma.
(Marie decked her little lady out in a princess gown to go to the movie show.)
A secondary definition is to ridicule. It’s the extra metaphorical, summary model of the primary. As an alternative of dressing somebody (or oneself) in clothes, it refers to “dressing somebody up” with a moniker that’s demeaning.
Je n’oserais pas vous affubler d’un tel qualificatif.
(I wouldn’t dare name you such a factor.)
“Such a factor” right here may very well be alongside the strains of “doofus,” “jerk,” and so on.
4. Amener
To result in. To not be confused with mener à, for which see beneath.
Ce travail est destiné à amener les changements.
(This work is destined to result in modifications.)
5. Apercevoir
To catch sight of, to glimpse. When voir (to see) is simply too easy, get this irregular verb up in your vocab.
Si tu vas en Californie, tu apercevras des célébrités.
(When you go to California, you’ll catch sight of celebrities.)
6. Atteindre
To succeed in, to get to.
Ma mère atteindra ses 60 ans l’année prochaine.
(My mother will probably be 60 years outdated subsequent 12 months.)
7. Constituer
To make up or represent.
Cette loi constitue une avancée majeure pour les droits de l’homme.
(This legislation constitutes a significant development for human rights.)
8. Craindre
To be afraid. Avoir peur de has the identical that means, however this phrase is simpler to throw round when you’ve acquired the conjugation discovered.
Je crains d’oublier tous ces mots.
(I’m afraid of forgetting all these phrases.)
9. Déchaîner
To unleash.
En Europe, l’immigration est un sujet qui déchaîne les passions.
(In Europe, immigration is a topic that unleashes ardour.)
Which is to say, it’s a broadly debated subject.
10. Déclencher
To set off, to set off.
Ce style d’extremisme pourrait déclencher une guerre.
(This sort of extremism might set off a warfare.)
11. Déculotter
To defeat in an embarrassing or flagrant means. However depart it to French to have a verb that actually interprets to taking off somebody’s underwear, or “to pants” somebody!
Marc s’est fait déculotter par Marie quand elle a exposé ses mensonges.
(Marc was embarrassed by Marie when she uncovered his lies.)
12. Demeurer
To stay, to dwell, to reside.
La musique peut exercer une affect si puissante sur une personne qu’elle ne peut qu’en demeurer émue.
(Music can have such a strong affect on an individual that they can’t however be moved.)
13. Déroger
To depart from, to contravene the standing quo (or the official phrases which have been set). France is sometimes called the land of forms and déroger is the kind of phrase you’re certain to come back throughout within the small print of a registration type or different official doc within the context of legislation.
La loi ne peut pas déroger aux tendencies du Pacte.
(The legislation can not depart from the provisions of the settlement.)
14. Disposer de
To have obtainable, to have at one’s disposal.
Charles dispose d’assez d’argent pour mener à terme son projet.
(Charles has sufficient cash at his disposal to complete his undertaking.)
15. Écoper
To bail out water (from a ship).
Les marins ont dû écoper l’eau de leur bateau pour ne pas couler.
(The sailors needed to bail out water from their boat with a purpose to not sink.)
To get, to obtain. On this case, écoper nearly at all times refers to a penalty or a punishment, like a superb.
Le conducteur a écopé une amende de 85 {dollars} pour un excès de vitesse.
(The driving force acquired an 85 greenback superb for going over the pace restrict.)
16. Émoustiller
To excite, to render playful. Émoustiller is most frequently used within the context of style or different sensory pleasures, as in Émoustillez vos papilles! which accurately interprets to “Excite your style buds!” or “Whet your urge for food!”
Le champagne émoustilla les invités.
(The champagne excited/loosened up the friends.)
Other than its major definition, émoustiller can be used within the context of that different form of pleasure (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), that means to titillate or to arouse.
Frédéric n’avait pas manqué l’opportunité d’émoustiller les rares femmes présentes au travail.
(Frédéric by no means missed the chance to arouse the few girls current at work.)
17. Engendrer
To engender, to result in.
Sa duplicité engendre des conflits dans le groupe.
(His duplicity engenders battle within the group.)
18. Entamer
To begin on.
Je vais entamer mes devoirs ce soir.
(I’m going to begin on my homework tonight.)
19. Entraîner
To result in, to contain.
Une carence de vitamin C peut entraîner des infections.
(A vitamin C deficiency can result in infections.)
20. Éprouver
To expertise, to really feel, to have.
Sarah éprouve toujours des difficultés à trouver la maison de Jennifer.
(Sarah at all times has difficulties discovering Jennifer’s home.)
21. Exister
To exist. Use this whenever you wish to be extra formal than il y a (there may be or there are).
Il existe plusieurs raisons pour laquelle je ne suis pas allée au live performance la semaine dernière.
(There are numerous explanation why I didn’t go to the live performance final week.)
22. Faire des bêtises
To get into mischief, act a idiot, make a multitude.
Elle mange le riz avec un couteau. Elle fait des bêtises!
(She’s consuming the rice with a knife. She’s being silly!)
23. Figurer
To look, to be current.
Votre nom determine sur la liste des adhérents.
(Your title seems on the members checklist.)
24. Fuir
Run for the hills! Flee! Hopefully you’ll learn this greater than communicate it, however hey, you by no means know should you’ll want this for a future profession as un espion (a spy).
Les abeilles! Il faut fuir!
(The bees! We should flee!)
25. Gémir
To moan or whine. This refers to the sound you make whenever you’re feeling ache, not whenever you’re complaining that you just don’t wish to eat your kale.
Il a gémi quand il a vu qu’il était quatre heures du matin.
(He moaned when he noticed that it was 4 within the morning.)
26. Mener à
To result in. Just like amener, however in the other way.
Cela ne doit pas mener à la conclusion que la loi est inutile.
(This could not result in the conclusion that the legislation is ineffective.)
27. Nouer
To tie or make a knot.
Il ne peut pas nouer ses chaussures ?
(He can’t tie his footwear?)
28. Occasionner
To trigger, to result in.
Les travaux risquent d’occasionner une gêne aux purchasers.
(The development work would possibly trigger a disturbance to the purchasers.)
29. Paraître
To appear like or to look like, like its barely easier-to-pronounce synonym sembler.
Cela paraît étrange de manger le petit déjeuner pendant la nuit, mais j’aime bien.
(It appears unusual to eat breakfast through the evening, however I prefer it.)
30. Peiner
To battle. Be happy to make use of this for each battle in your battle ebook, from French vocabulary to by chance leaving the TV distant within the kitchen.
Je peine à me réveiller le matin.
(I battle to stand up within the morning.)
31. Posséder
To have, to comprise.
La maison de Scott et Laura possède un très beau mobilier.
(Scott and Laura’s home has very stunning furnishings.)
32. Préciser que
To elucidate, to make clear.
Le président a précisé que la loi ne s’appliquera que l’année prochaine.
(The president clarified that the legislation would solely be utilized subsequent 12 months.)
33. Prétendre que
To take care of, to purport, to assert.
Les résidents prétendent que le maire a utilisé un langage inapproprié dans sa réponse lorsqu’il a laissé entendre que les impôts n’augmenteront pas.
(The residents keep that the mayor used poor phrase alternative in his response as a result of he made it appear that the taxes wouldn’t improve.)
34. Recueillir
To get, to acquire, to obtain.
La candidate a recueilli 20% des votes.
(The candidate has acquired 20% of the votes.)
35. Représenter
To depict, present, signify or embody.
Les garçons représentaient moins de 20% de l’ensemble des élèves.
(Lower than 20% of the scholars had been boys.)
36. Rester
To stay.
Les circumstances restent favorables.
(The circumstances stay favorable.)
37. Se diriger
To go for or to maneuver in direction of. It’s the reflexive of the verb diriger, which implies to maneuver, information or handle, and it typically consists of the preposition vers (round) in its development.
Elle criait, alors je me suis dirigée vers la sortie.
(She was screaming, so I headed for the exit.)
38. S’agir de
To be, to be about. It’s used within the expression il s’agit de.
J’ai lu un article dans lequel il s’agit du gaspillage alimentaire.
(I learn an article that’s about losing meals.)
39. S’éléver à
To return to, to quantity to.
La facture s’élève à 200 euros.
(The invoice involves 200 euros.)
40. Souligner que
To emphasise, to emphasize, to spotlight, to underscore.
Le médecin a souligné qu’une alimentation trop grasse et sucrée est nocive pour la santé.
(The physician confused {that a} food regimen too fatty and sugary is dangerous for one’s well being.)
41. Trouver
To seek out. You need to use it actually or figuratively, as in “I discover that humorous.” It’s extra formal than il y a, however lower than exister.
On trouve plusieurs variétés de plantes dans cette forêt.
One finds a number of species of crops on this forest.
42. Valoir
To be price. Use it to speak about what number of costly treasures you’ve in your closet or use it extra figuratively.
Cette bague vaut plus que ta maison.
(This ring is price greater than your own home.)
Nouns
43. L’Abnégation
Self-denial, self-sacrifice.
Collette mène son travail de recherche avec beaucoup d’abnégation. Sept jours sur sept, elle se lève à 5h et se couche à minuit.
(Collette is endeavor her analysis with numerous self-denial. Seven days every week, she wakes up at 5 within the morning and goes to mattress at midnight.)
44. Le/La Bisounours
Naive. The connotation is somewhat pejorative and condescending. A portmanteau of bisou (kiss) and nournours (teddy bear), bisounours was initially used because the French title for the Care Bears franchise (keep in mind Care Bears?!). It has since made its means into on a regular basis life.
On n’est pas au pays des bisounours!
(We’re not in la-la land! / Get actual!)
45. La Calotte
A cranium cap (formally, the Belgian type) or a slap on the pinnacle (informally). The formal French model and the casual model of this noun are vastly totally different!
Sa mère n’aime pas quand elle donne une calotte à son frère.
(Her mother doesn’t like when she hits her brother [on the head]).
46. La Colimaçon
You need to use colimaçon as you’d escargot or snail—when speaking about gardening, or your biggest fears—however whenever you’re visiting Notre Dame whereas touring by means of France, strive wowing your tour information by referencing son escalier en colimaçon (spiral staircase).
47. La Contrée
Area, land. This phrase is usually utilized in literature. It’s extra “Madame Bovary” than Elle journal.
Au printemps, cette contrée revêt un tout autre caractère.
(In spring, the land takes on a complete new character.)
48. La Détente
The leisure of political pressure, or, alternatively, when one thing bodily relaxes. It can also translate to imply a gun set off.
On espère qu’un jour on aura une détente entre tous les pays.
(One hopes that in the future there will probably be a leisure of pressure between all of the international locations.)
49. La Kyrielle
Plethora, host, multitude, bunch.
Le répertoire présente toute une kyrielle d’exemples de stratégies fructueuses.
(The stock gives a plethora of examples of profitable methods.)
50. La Lame
Blade. Hopefully it’s not in your vocabulary a complete lot, until you’re employed in a kitchen, or a… knife retailer? However you’ll see it a bit in literature, particularly should you like journey novels.
Ne joue jamais avec une lame!
(By no means play with a blade!)
51. La Œnologie
The science of winemaking. (Did you actually suppose you’d get by means of this publish with no wine point out?) A real novice (lover) of wine will know that an œnologue (a winemaker) shouldn’t be the identical factor as a sommelier (a wine steward).
Après ses études d’œnologie, François Raget a accepté de diriger l’entreprise familiale.
(Upon completion of his research in winemaking, François Raget agreed to run the household enterprise.)
52. Le Parallélépipède
Parallelepiped or a strong whose six faces are parallelograms. I do know, I do know, this isn’t a math weblog, however I couldn’t resist throwing this one in for good measure, so to talk.
Le quantity du bâtiment est constitué d’un easy parallélépipède recouvert de panneaux préfabriqués.
(The quantity of the constructing consists of a parallelepiped lined with prefabricated panels.)
53. La Quincaillerie
Ironmongery store.
Tu n’as qu’à aller à la quincaillerie pour acheter de la peinture.
(All you must do is go to the ironmongery shop to purchase paint.)
Low-cost jewellery, trinket (often steel).
Dimanche dernier nous avons trouvé pas mal de quincaillerie au vide grenier.
(Final Sunday, we discovered fairly a number of trinkets on the yard sale.)
54. Le Raidillon
Slope. This vocabulary phrase is particularly helpful should you stay within the hills.
Le raidillon là-bas est parfait pour faire du skateboard.
(The slope over there may be good for skateboarding.)
55. La Serrurerie
Locksmith’s commerce, locksmithing.
Les serrures sont des pièces de serrurerie.
(Locks are locksmithing objects.)
Attempt saying this 3 times quick!
Adjectives
56. À l’abri
Beneath cowl, as in: It’s a tornado! Get beneath cowl! It’s a monster! Get to security!
Il arrive; tout le monde trouve un endroit à l’abri!
(He’s coming; everybody discover a place beneath cowl!)
57. Abracadabrant
Weird, bizarre, befuddling. This phrase is a by-product of the magical incantation “Abracadabra.” I don’t learn about you, however I really like phrases that sound like what they imply.
Cette histoire est abracadabrante!
(This story is weird!)
58. Abracadabrantesque
Ludicrous, unbelievable (as in missing credibility). A riff on abracadabrant, this can be a neologism first utilized by Arthur Rimbaud and later resuscitated by President Jacques Chirac in a tv interview within the 12 months 2000, in reference to accusations of misuse of public funds throughout his presidency. His precise phrases had been:
Je suis indigné par le procédé, par le mensonge, par l’outrance. Il doit y avoir des limites à la calomnie. Aujourd’hui, on rapporte une histoire abracadabrantesque.
(I’m outraged by the conduct [of those here], by the lies, by the surplus. There should be limits to slander. In the present day, we’re introduced again to a preposterous story.)
In the present day, abracadabrantesque is used somewhat playfully rather than abracadabrant, as a form of clin d’œil (wink) to a really memorable French political scandal.
59. Argentique
Not digital, analog. This actually interprets to “silvery” and refers to pictures or photographic follow with rolls of movie.
Mon professor d’artwork est de la vieille-école. Il ne fait que la photographie argentique.
(My artwork instructor is old-fashioned. He solely does analog pictures.)
60. Argotique
Slangy. Aracquired is French for “slang.” Argotique is its adjectival type.
Thomas utilise un langage argotique et parfois j’ai du mal à comprendre ce qu’il dit.
(Thomas makes use of slangy language and typically I’ve hassle understanding what he says.)
61. Boursouflé
Swollen, overrated.
Arnaud a fait une réaction allergique, il a la bouche boursouflée.
(Arnaud had an allergic response; his mouth is swollen.)
62. Digital
Regarding fingers. It is a fake ami that at all times journeys up Twenty first-century French learners.
Le file contient nos empreintes digitales.
(The file accommodates our fingerprints.)
63. Errant
Nomadic or wandering. This comes from the current participle of the verb errer (to wander), so you should use this adjective to explain your worldwide adventures or your eccentric aunt who strikes round in her RV each two weeks.
Je rêve de la vie errante.
(I dream of the nomadic life.)
64. Exécrable
Detestable, appalling, heinous.
L’homme a été condamné à l’enfermement à perpétuité pour ses crimes exécrables.
(The person was sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crimes.)
Obnoxious.
Mes enfants sont exécrables quand ils ne font pas la sieste.
(My youngsters are obnoxious once they don’t take a nap.)
65. Furtif
To be stealthy or secretive. Technically, furtive is an English phrase as properly. It’s not a brilliant widespread one, however all the identical.
Nous avons besoin de quelqu’un de furtif pour notre équipe.
(We’d like somebody stealthy for our group.)
66. Imberbe
Beardless, bare-faced—a concise means of claiming sans barbe (with no beard). This can be utilized in a extra figurative technique to speak about somebody (often a man) who’s younger and naive.
Depuis son retour d’Allemagne, Charles est imberbe.
(Since his return from Germany, Charles is clean-shaven.)
67. Numérique
Digital, as in digital know-how. So going again to my earlier pictures instance, un appareil photograph numérique (not digital) refers to a digital digicam. Whew.
Nous vivons dans l’ère numérique.
(We stay within the digital period.)
68. Rocambolesque
Implausible, extraordinary, unbelievable.
Stella décrit l’expérience distinctive, parfois rocambolesque mais toujours passionnante que représente la vie d’une cinéaste allemande en France.
(Stella describes the distinctive, typically unbelievable, however at all times passionate lifetime of a German filmmaker in France.)
Adverbs
69. Ainsi
Like this or on this means. It’s an important phrase to get bossy with—you’ve in all probability seen this phrase thrown round a few times, however saved forgetting to look it up.
Il faut danser ainsi.
(One should dance like so.)
70. D’ailleurs
By the way in which, furthermore or in addition to—its literal that means is “from elsewhere.” Want extra French filler phrases than donc and alors? Look no additional than this favourite.
D’ailleurs, tu as quelque selected entre tes dents.
(By the way in which, you’ve one thing between your enamel.)
Sources to Study Superior French Phrases
After going by means of this checklist, you may be in search of some methods to follow these phrases. Get began with these:
- Forvo: In relation to studying any phrase, ensuring you know the way to correctly pronounce it is necessary. On Forvo, you possibly can hearken to how native audio system pronounce any phrase. It permits you to rapidly seek for a phrase and discover its pronunciation, often spoken by quite a few totally different individuals.
- FluentU: You may develop your French vocabulary with this language program, which makes use of native French media clips like TV present clips, music movies and talks. Every video has interactive subtitles that present you the that means of every French phrase, plus it can save you new vocabulary and assessment them with customized quizzes.
- Quizlet: Flashcards are the tried-and-true technique of studying new phrases. Quizlet permits you to create your personal enjoyable flashcard decks to assessment with. You may also seek for decks different customers have created.
- Tandem: There isn’t any higher technique to follow new phrases than with native audio system. However, it’s not at all times attainable to discover a speaker close to you. That’s the place Tandem is available in. Right here, you’ll find a language accomplice to follow with—you possibly can educate them English whereas they educate you French. It’s an ideal trade!
And there you’ve it.
French is a really colourful language.
Profitez-en (benefit from it)!
Obtain:
This weblog publish is obtainable as a handy and transportable PDF that you just
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
