French
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in French.
jeter
The word 'jeter' is a French verb that translates to 'throw' in English. It is usually used in the context of throwing something physically, like a ball or an object. It can also be used metaphorically, such as 'jeter un coup d'œil' meaning to 'throw a glance' or take a quick look.
Example sentences with jeter →jeu
The French word for game, 'jeu', is used in many of the same ways as in English. It can refer to both sports games and board games, and even video games, which are called 'jeux vidéo'. Like English, this term can also be used metaphorically, as in 'C'est un jeu d'enfant' which means 'It's a child's game', reflecting an easy task.
Example sentences with jeu →jeune
The word 'jeune' in French translates to 'young' in English. It is an adjective used to describe someone who is in the early stages of life, has little experience, or in reference to emphasizing freshness or renewal. It is commonly used in contexts such as 'jeune homme' (young man), 'jeune femme' (young woman), and 'jeune âge' (young age). The placement of 'jeune' can vary in the sentence but it usually placed before the noun it is describing.
Example sentences with jeune →joie
The French word 'joie' translates to 'joy' in English. It is typically used in the same contexts as the English word, to express a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. It can be used in many contexts - for example, 'Je ressens une grande joie' means 'I feel great joy'.
Example sentences with joie →joindre
The word 'joindre' is a common French verb that translates to 'join' in English. It can be used in many contexts just like the word 'join'. For example, it can signify the act of meeting with people ('joindre des amis'), connecting two or more entities ('joindre deux morceaux de bois'), or reaching someone over a distance ('joindre par téléphone'). Remember, as a regular -re verb, 'joindre' has a specific conjugation pattern you should learn.
Example sentences with joindre →jolie
The French word 'jolie' translates to 'pretty' in English. It is an adjective that can describe both people and things, indicating that they are pleasant to look at. It can be used in various contexts, such as 'Elle est très jolie' (She is very pretty) or 'C'est une jolie maison' (It's a pretty house).
Example sentences with jolie →jouer
The word 'jouer' means 'play' in French. This verb can be used in a variety of contexts, including playing a sport or a game ('jouer au football'), playing an instrument ('jouer du piano'), or play in the sense of acting in a theater ('jouer dans une pièce de théâtre'). It also can mean 'to gamble' ('jouer de l'argent'). Note, however, it does not translate all uses of 'play', as French often uses other verbs for more specific types of play.
Example sentences with jouer →joueur
The French word 'joueur' is an equivalent of 'player' in English. It is used in the same context as in English, referring to someone participating in a game or sport. For example, 'Il est un bon joueur' translates to 'He is a good player'. Note that 'joueur' is used for a male player, while 'joueuse' is the term for a female player.
Example sentences with joueur →joyeux
The French word 'joyeux' is used in a similar way as 'merry' in English, often in reference to an emotion of happiness or celebration. It's commonly used in greeting messages and wishes, especially during Christmas period; 'Joyeux Noël' (Merry Christmas).
Example sentences with joyeux →jusqu'à
The French word 'jusqu'à' translates as 'until' in English. It can be used in sentences to specify the extent or the timing of an event. It can be used in both temporal and spatial context. For example, temporally, 'Je reste jusqu'à lundi' means 'I am staying until Monday'. Spatially, 'Je marche jusqu'à la boutique' means 'I walk until the shop'.
Example sentences with jusqu'à →jusqu'à ce que nous nous rencontrions à nouveau
The French translation 'jusqu'à ce que nous nous rencontrions à nouveau' is often used in formal or informal situations to say goodbye, in the hope or expectation of meeting the person again in the future. The phrase has a poetic, sentimental connotation.
Example sentences with jusqu'à ce que nous nous rencontrions à nouveau →jusqu'à la prochaine fois
The French phrase 'jusqu'à la prochaine fois' is used at the end of a conversation or meeting. It means 'until next time' or 'until we meet again'. It is used in a similar context as it is in English, wishing for a reunion or indicating that there will be another time when the people involved will meet or do something together again.
Example sentences with jusqu'à la prochaine fois →jusque-là
The French term 'jusque-là' is used in the same context as 'until then' in English. It is often used to refer to a certain point in time that will occur in the future. For example, in the sentence 'I will see you at the meeting, until then, take care', in French it would be 'Je te verrai à la réunion, jusque-là, prends soin de toi'.
Example sentences with jusque-là →juste
The French word 'juste' translates to 'just' in English. It is commonly used in the same contexts as in English, such as to mean 'only', 'exactly' or 'recently'. For example, 'Je suis juste ici' means 'I am just here'. This word can also be used in the context of fairness, similar to English, as in 'C'est juste' which means 'It's fair'.
Example sentences with juste →justice
The French word for 'justice' is also 'justice', pronounced slightly differently. It is used in the same contexts as in English, such as referring to fairness or legal decisions. For example, 'La justice est servie' means 'Justice is served'.
Example sentences with justice →là
The French word 'là' represents the English equivalent 'there'. It is used in pretty much the same way it would be in English, to denote a particular place or position. However, just like English, French has multiple words that can be translated as 'there', so the usage of 'là' may vary depending on the context. For instance, 'y' can also mean 'there', especially in the sense of 'in/at a place' while 'là' tends to mean 'there' in the sense of 'that place', pointing towards a certain area.
Example sentences with là →la nativité
The word 'la nativité' in French is primarily used to refer to the birth of Jesus Christ in Christian tradition, similarly to how 'nativity' is used in English. However, it can also be used more generally to refer to the act or place of birth. It is commonly used around the Christmas period in reference to 'nativity plays' and 'nativity scenes'.
Example sentences with la nativité →la plupart
The French word 'la plupart' is used to indicate the majority of something. It is very similar to how 'most' is used in English. Used in a sentence, it could be like 'La plupart des étudiants aiment le Français' where it translates to 'Most students like French'. Note that 'la plupart' is followed by 'de' plus a noun.
Example sentences with la plupart →la vie
The French word 'la vie' translates to 'life' in English. It is used in the same way as in English, to refer to either the existence of an individual/entity or the experience of living. It can be used in various contexts, such as discussing lifestyle ('style de vie') or life span ('durée de vie'). Pay close attention to gender when using 'la vie' in a sentence, as it is feminine in French.
Example sentences with la vie →lâcher de balle
In French, 'lâcher de balle' is used to describe the act of dropping a ball. It can be used in various contexts such as sports or physics. However, it's not used to describe the event of 'New Year's Eve Ball Drop' as it has a different cultural significance in French.
Example sentences with lâcher de balle →lait
The French word for 'milk' is 'lait'. It is used in the same way as in English. For example, 'Je bois du lait' means 'I drink milk'.
Example sentences with lait →langue
The word 'langue' means 'language' in French. It is used in the same context as in English - to refer to the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. For instance, 'French is a beautiful langue.
Example sentences with langue →le long de
The French word 'le long de' is used similarly to how we use 'along' in English. It denotes a position that extends over a certain line or area. For example, 'I walked along the river' translates into 'J'ai marché le long de la rivière'. It's used both spatially and temporally.
Example sentences with le long de →leader
In French, the word for 'leader' is 'chef'. It is widely used to refer to someone who is in control or in command, leading a group of people, organization, team, or other. In addition to its primary usage, it is also commonly used in professional settings such as businesses, politics, and other leadership positions.
Example sentences with leader →légal
The French term for 'legal' is 'légal'. It is used in similar contexts as it is in English, to refer to things that are related to the law or permitted by the law. For instance, 'conseil légal' would mean 'legal advice' and 'âge légal' would mean 'legal age'. However, do be aware that linguistic nuances mean that it may not always be used identically to the English word 'legal'.
Example sentences with légal →légumes
The word 'légumes' is used in French to refer to vegetables in general. It's a masculine plural noun that can be used in various contexts such as cooking or gardening. You might use it when talking about the vegetables you're going to cook for dinner, or when discussing what you're growing in your garden.
Example sentences with légumes →les deux
In French, 'les deux' is used to express 'both' or 'the two'. It is used when referring to two things or people already mentioned and indicates that the statement being made applies to both of them. For instance, 'Je aime les deux' means 'I like both'.
Example sentences with les deux →lettre
The French word 'lettre' is used in a similar context to the English word 'letter.' It refers to a written, typed, or printed communication, sent in an envelope by post or messenger. It can also refer to a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech, any of the symbols of an alphabet. However, note that it does not refer to 'letter' in the sense of a letter of the alphabet - that would be 'lettre de l'alphabet'.
Example sentences with lettre →leur
In French, 'leur' is used as a possessive adjective, equivalent to 'their' in English. It is used to indicate that something belongs to them. For example, 'C'est leur maison' would mean 'That is their house'. Unlike some other possessive adjectives in French, 'leur' does not change according to gender or number of the object owned, there is only one form.
Example sentences with leur →libération
The French term for 'release' is 'libération', the noun used when releasing someone from jail or a contract. It can also be used in the non-specific context when something is set free. Phrases can vary as 'mettre en libération conditionnelle' (to release on parole) or 'dater de libération' (release date). This term is widely used in French literary and daily conversation.
Example sentences with libération →