French
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in French.
douleur
The word 'douleur' in French translates to 'pain' in English. It's used to describe any kind of physical discomfort or suffering often caused by injury or illness. Just like the English word 'pain', 'douleur' can also be used in a metaphorical sense to express emotional agony or distress.
Example sentences with douleur →drogue
The French word for 'drug' is 'drogue'. It's used much in the same context as in English, referring to substances that cause physiological changes or effects when introduced into the body. However, it's important to note that while 'drogue' does encompass both legal and illegal substances, the context of its use will often indicate the nature of the drug being referred to.
Example sentences with drogue →droit
The word 'droit' in French translates to 'right' in English. It's often used to refer to a direction or side, similar to the English usage. In a legal context, it also represents 'right' as in a person's rights ('les droits de l'homme' referring to human rights). Use of the word really depends on the context in the sentence.
Example sentences with droit →dur
The French word for 'hard' is 'dur'. Just like in English, it can be used to refer to the toughness or difficulty of something. For instance, a difficult test could be called 'un test dur'. It can also refer to a hard, non-flexible object. Additionally, the pronunciation of 'dur' is very similar to the English word 'door'.
Example sentences with dur →eau
The French word for 'water' is 'eau'. It is used in the same ways as in English, both literally (to mean the liquid we drink and that fills the oceans) and metaphorically (as in the flow of a conversation). It's a feminine noun in French, so you would say 'une eau'.
Example sentences with eau →échouer
The French word 'échouer' is used to express the English word 'fail'. It is used in the same manner as in English - when a task, initiative, or goal is not successful. However, like many other expressions, the context might slightly alter its translation. It is primarily used in academic or professional settings to denote failure in a project or exam.
Example sentences with échouer →école
The French word for school is 'école'. This word is used in the same context as in English, referring to an institution for educating children. However, 'école' can also refer to any educational institution, not only for children, but also for older students or adults. It's very typical in France to refer to higher education institutions or academies as 'école'.
Example sentences with école →Économie
The French word for 'economy' is 'Économie'. It is used in many of the same contexts as it is in English, referring to the wealth and resources of a country or region, particularly in terms of production and consumption. It can also refer to careful management of available resources. 'Économie' is a feminine noun in French, and like most French words, there is a lot of focus on the pronunciation of each syllable.
Example sentences with Économie →économique
The French word 'économique' is used in the same context as the English word 'economic'. It can refer to anything related to the production, development, and management of material wealth, as in an individual, community, or country. It is most commonly used in discussions about financial affairs, business, and commerce. For example, 'Une analyse économique' translates to 'An economic analysis'.
Example sentences with économique →écouter
The French word for 'listen' is 'écouter'. It is used in much the same way as it is in English, to indicate the act of making an effort to hear something. It can be used in different contexts, just like in English, such as listening to music (écouter de la musique), listening to a person (écouter une personne), or listening to a lesson (écouter une leçon).
Example sentences with écouter →écrire
The French word 'écrire' translates to 'write' in English. In French grammar, 'écrire' is an irregular -re verb and requires certain modifications depending on different grammatical tenses and moods. For instance, 'I write' is 'J'écris'. It is utilized in various contexts that revolve around the act of writing like 'writing a letter' - 'écrire une lettre', 'writing a book' - 'écrire un livre', etc. Similar to English, it is also used metaphorically in some expressions.
Example sentences with écrire →éducation
In French, the word for 'education' is 'éducation'. Much like in English, it gets used widely in discussions about schooling, teaching, and learning. It can refer to both the process of instructing or the system by which one is instructed. Examples of usage in sentences are: 'Je suis en charge de l'éducation de mes enfants' which means 'I am in charge of my children's education' or 'L'éducation est essentielle pour le développement' which translates to 'Education is essential for development'.
Example sentences with éducation →effet
The French word 'effet' translates to 'effect' in English. It can be used in various contexts just as in English. For instance, it can define the result or consequence of an action. Similar to its English counterpart, 'effet' can also be used to express a particular impression or atmosphere that an object or person projects. For example, 'Cela a un effet apaisant' translates to 'It has a soothing effect'. It's well integrated in the French language and can be spotted in many necessary conversations.
Example sentences with effet →effets spéciaux
The term 'effets spéciaux' refers to techniques used in cinema and theater to create fictional events in a story. They can include both practical effects created on set as well as digital or computer generated effects.
Example sentences with effets spéciaux →effort
The French word 'effort' is used much like the English word 'effort'. It refers to the exertion of physical or mental power. It can be used in various contexts, like making an effort to complete a task, or the effort taken to achieve something.
Example sentences with effort →église
The word 'église' is used in French to represent a place of Christian worship. It's normally used in the same contexts as 'church' in English. For instance, 'Je vais à l'église chaque dimanche' translates in English as 'I go to church every Sunday.'
Example sentences with église →élection
The word 'élection' in French is used very similarly to 'election' in English. It implies a process in which a choice or decision is made by a group of people, typically through voting. It can be used in different contexts, such as a political election (élection présidentielle), an election in a club or organization (élection du comité), etc.
Example sentences with élection →elfe
The French word for 'elf' is 'elfe'. It is used in much the same context as in English, for describing a type of supernatural being in folklore and fantasy literature, often characterized as a small, delicate, elusive figure in human form with pointed ears.
Example sentences with elfe →elle-même
In French, 'elle-même' is used when referring to a female subject in the context of having done an action to herself. It is the equivalent of 'herself' in English. This can apply across several contexts, including both physical and metaphorical actions, similar to how the term is used in English.
Example sentences with elle-même →employé
The French word for 'employee' is 'employé'. It is used in much the same way as in English, to refer to a person who is hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business. Remember, French nouns have a gender, and 'employé' is masculine. If you want to refer to a female employee, you would say 'employée'.
Example sentences with employé →Enchanté de vous rencontrer
The French phrase 'Enchanté de vous rencontrer' is used when you first meet someone. It is more formal and is often used in business and formal situations. A more casual way could be just 'Enchanté'. It's gender and number neutral.
Example sentences with Enchanté de vous rencontrer →encore
The French word 'encore' translates to 'still' in English. It is mostly used to indicate that a particular action or state continues to happen or be, usually in conjunction with another verb. For example, 'Je t'aime encore,' translates to 'I still love you.' However, 'encore' can also mean 'again' or 'another' in different contexts.
Example sentences with encore →endroit
The French word 'endroit' corresponds to the English word 'place'. It is prevalently used to refer to a location or area. For example, when you want to say 'This is my favorite place', you would say 'C'est mon endroit préféré' in French. However, please note that 'place' may have different translations according to its context, another common translation is 'place' in French which is used when referring to a spot or a room for someone or something.
Example sentences with endroit →énergie
The French word for energy is 'énergie'. It is commonly used in the same context as the English equivalent. It can refer to physical vigor, sustainable resources like wind and solar power, or even the atmosphere in a room or gathering. For example, 'J'ai beaucoup d'énergie aujourd'hui' means 'I have a lot of energy today'.
Example sentences with énergie →enfant
The French word for child is 'enfant'. This term can be used generally to refer to a young person of either sex, although it is technically the masculine form. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as family, school, or any situation involving children. An additional note is that 'enfant' does not change its form for singular or plural - 'les enfants' would mean the children.
Example sentences with enfant →enfer
The French translation for 'hell' is 'enfer'. This word can be used in a range of contexts, akin to English usage. It can indicate a state of great suffering or an unpleasant situation, or it can be used in religious terminology to refer to a place of punishment in the afterlife. For example, 'Je vivais un enfer' translates to 'I was living a hell'. Usage might slightly vary depending on the context.
Example sentences with enfer →enlever
The French word 'enlever' is used similarly to the English 'remove'. We can use it to talk about taking something away or off from where it is or from its original position. For example, we can say 'Je vais enlever ma veste,' which translates to 'I will remove my jacket.' It can also be used in the context of kidnapping or abduction.
Example sentences with enlever →énorme
The French word 'énorme' is used similarly to the English word 'huge'. It can be used to describe something that is very big in size, amount, or degree. It is commonly used in both written and spoken language. Examples may include 'enorme maison' (huge house) or 'énorme quantité' (huge amount).
Example sentences with énorme →enregistrement
In French, the word 'enregistrement' is used similar to the English 'record'. It can mean a document or notation of data saved for referencing later, or the act of saving such data. It is also used in the context of audio or video recording. However, like in English, it's not used to describe a sports achievement or a best-ever performance; that would be 'record' in French too.
Example sentences with enregistrement →enseignant
The French word 'enseignant' refers to a person who helps others to acquire knowledge, competences, or values. It is used in the same context as 'teacher' in English. In French educational settings, both at the elementary and university levels, an individual who facilitates learning is referred to as 'enseignant'.
Example sentences with enseignant →