French Vocabulary

noun a person who is well informed or knowledgeable about a particular subject

adjective having a good understanding or knowledge of a particular subject

• She is au fait with the latest developments in the field of quantum physics.
• I'm not really au fait with how to use this new software yet.
• I'm not au fait with all the drama happening in the office.
• He is au fait with the intricacies of human behavior.

noun a large amount or quantity

adverb to a great degree; very much

pronoun many or much

• Il y a beaucoup de travail à faire avant la réunion.
• Il y a beaucoup de monde à la fête ce soir.
• J'ai beaucoup kiffé le concert hier soir.
• Elle a beaucoup de courage pour affronter cette situation.

noun a beautiful and charming young woman; a female admirer or sweetheart

• The belle of the ball arrived in a stunning gown.
• Did you see that belle over there? She's so pretty!
• That girl is the belle of the school, everyone loves her.
• The old theater was once the belle of the town, now it sits abandoned.

adjective a French word meaning finished or completed

• The project is finally fini and ready for presentation.
• I can't believe we're fini with that long assignment!
• Let's celebrate, we're fini with finals!
• The relationship may be fini, but the memories will always remain.

noun a French word meaning 'madness' or 'folly'

• The architect designed the building with a grand folie in the garden.
• Let's check out that crazy folie in the park!
• That folie is totally wild!
• Her obsession with perfection was like a folie that consumed her every thought.

noun a French word meaning boy or waiter

• The garcon at the restaurant took our order and brought us our meals promptly.
• Hey garcon, can we get some more bread over here?
• That garcon is always on point with his service.
• The garcon of the group, she always made sure everyone was taken care of.

noun a French phrase meaning 'joy of living', referring to a cheerful enjoyment of life

• The artist's paintings exude a sense of joie de vivre that is truly captivating.
• Every time I see Sarah, her joie de vivre just lights up the room.
• I love hanging out with Tom, he's got such a great joie de vivre.
• Despite the challenges she faced, her joie de vivre shone through like a beacon of hope.

noun the natural fluid that can be extracted from fruits or vegetables

adjective just or fair

• The chef prepared a delicious jus to accompany the roasted duck.
• I love dipping my fries in jus, it adds so much flavor.
• Hey, can you pass me that jus? I need to pour it over my steak.
• His words were like a jus, adding just the right touch to the conversation.

noun a French term of address or title used for an unmarried woman or girl

• The mademoiselle requested a glass of champagne at the elegant soirée.
• Hey mademoiselle, do you want to grab a coffee sometime?
• That mademoiselle is always the life of the party.
• She danced with the grace of a mademoiselle in a ballroom.

noun a sexual relationship involving three people

• The couple decided to hire a housekeeper to help manage their busy menage.
• Let's invite our friends over for a fun menage party this weekend.
• I heard they're into some wild menage stuff, if you know what I mean.
• Balancing work, family, and hobbies can feel like juggling a menage of responsibilities.

noun a word, especially one with a particular meaning or significance

verb to speak or say something

adjective having the power to move or stir the emotions; emotional

• The motivational speaker delivered a powerful speech to inspire the audience.
• I need some motivation to finish this project on time.
• I'm feeling so unmot today, I just want to lay in bed all day.
• His passion for music is the driving force behind his motivation to succeed.

noun a dance step or movement in ballet

adjective no longer fashionable or in current use

• The old traditions have long since passe and are no longer relevant in today's society.
• That fashion trend is so passe, no one wears that anymore.
• Dude, that song is so passe, you need to update your playlist.
• His ideas on leadership are passe, we need to bring in some fresh perspectives.

noun a sandy area by the sea or a lake

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• The hotel is located right next to a beautiful plage with golden sand.
• Let's spend the day at the plage and soak up some sun.
• I heard the plage is lit, we should definitely check it out.
• The calm waves of the plage reminded her of the peaceful moments in her childhood.

noun a meeting or encounter

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• La rencontre entre les deux dirigeants a été planifiée depuis plusieurs semaines.
• J'ai eu une rencontre avec mon collègue pour discuter du projet.
• On s'est rencontrés au café pour parler de nos vacances.
• La rencontre entre la musique et la danse crée une harmonie parfaite.

noun a place or state of carefree relaxation or enjoyment

• The new policy aims to provide employees with a sense of security and peace of mind, allowing them to work sans souci.
• I prefer to live my life sans souci, just going with the flow and not worrying about the little things.
• She's always so chill and carefree, living her life sans souci.
• His carefree attitude towards life allows him to navigate through challenges sans souci.

noun a man of rank or authority

• The seigneur of the manor was responsible for collecting taxes from the peasants.
• The seigneur threw a lavish party at his estate last night.
• Yo, did you see the seigneur's new ride? It's sick!
• She was considered the seigneur of the fashion world, always setting trends.

noun A small room or compartment containing a toilet and sometimes a washbasin

• She excused herself to use the toilette before the meeting started.
• I really need to find the toilette, do you know where it is?
• I'll be right back, I gotta hit up the toilette real quick.
• Her attention to detail in her work was like the finishing touches on a perfectly set toilette.

noun a syllable used in solfège to represent the sixth note of a major scale

adjective pertaining to the sixth note of a major scale

• El profesor explicó la teoría de la relatividad de manera detallada.
• Vamos a la playa mañana.
• Esa fiesta estuvo de la la la.
• La vida es como una obra de teatro, con diferentes actos y escenas.

noun a form of boules in which the objective is to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack

• The local pétanque club meets every Saturday afternoon to play a friendly game.
• Let's grab some drinks and play a game of pétanque at the park.
• I'm a pro at pétanque, no one can beat me!
• In the game of life, sometimes you have to strategize like you would in a game of pétanque.

noun a French word used to indicate a location or establishment, typically a restaurant or cafe

preposition a French preposition meaning 'at the home of' or 'at the place of'

• We had dinner at a fancy restaurant called 'Chez Pierre' last night.
• Let's meet at Chez Marie for a quick lunch.
• I love the vibe at Chez Tony's, it's always a good time.
• She found herself at a crossroads, unsure of which path to take chez her current situation.

noun a long, loose-fitting cloak or coat, typically worn in medieval times

• She wore a beautiful manteau to the opera.
• I found a cozy manteau at the thrift store.
• Check out my new manteau, it's so stylish!
• His words wrapped around her like a comforting manteau.

noun a French term that literally translates to 'staircase wit'; the act of thinking of a clever comeback or response too late, after the opportunity has passed

• During the debate, I often find myself experiencing esprit d’escalier, thinking of better arguments long after the conversation has ended.
• I hate it when I come up with the perfect comeback hours later, that's esprit d’escalier for you.
• Man, I always have esprit d’escalier when I think of the best insults after an argument.
• The feeling of esprit d’escalier is like climbing the stairs of regret, wishing you had said something different in the moment.

noun a shelter or covered place used for protection or refuge

• The mountaineers took shelter in the abri during the snowstorm.
• Let's find an abri to hide from the rain.
• I heard there's a cool abri by the beach where we can chill.
• His book served as an abri for his emotions during the difficult time.