French
Vocab Builder for commonly used words in French.
partie
The French word 'partie' means part in English. It's used to indicate a piece, section or portion of something. It can be used in various contexts, just like the English word part. For example, une partie du gateau would mean a part of the cake. It's pronounced as par-tee in French.
Example sentences with partie →partir
The French verb 'partir' stands for 'leave' in English. It can be used in several contexts such as when someone is departing from a location, or sometimes used figuratively to say goodbye. Just like other French verbs, it should be conjugated according to the subject and tense.
Example sentences with partir →partout
The French word 'partout' translates to 'throughout' in English. It is mostly used to indicate the fact of being present or happening during the entire span of a defined space or period of time. For instance, 'Il y a des fleurs partout dans le jardin' means 'There are flowers throughout the garden'.
Example sentences with partout →passé
The French word 'passé' is used to denote past time or something that happened before now. It's similar to how we use past in English to denote any time before the current moment. It can be used in various contexts, either to refer to a past event, a past tense, or to a period in history.
Example sentences with passé →passer
The French word 'passer' is primarily used in the same way as the English word 'pass'. It can refer to the act of passing a physical object, passing by or through a location, or passing a point in time. Please note that the use of 'passer' can also vary depending on the context of the sentence or phrase.
Example sentences with passer →patient
The word 'patient' translates to 'patient' in French. It's used similarly to the English language, referring to a person who is under medical care or treatment. Additionally, it can also be used to describe someone showing self-control, someone who is calm, capable of accepting or tolerating delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. However, the context of its usage will determine its meaning.
Example sentences with patient →pauvre
The French word 'pauvre' is used similarly to the English 'poor'. It can refer both to a lack of wealth or resources, as in 'the poor person', or 'la personne pauvre', but can also be used metaphorically to indicate sympathy or pity, such as 'the poor thing', or 'le pauvre'. Just as in English, context is important to understand the intended meaning of 'pauvre' in French.
Example sentences with pauvre →pays
The French word for 'country' is 'pays'. It is used in the same manner as in English, to describe a geographic area which is distinct in culture, geography, or politics. For example, 'France est mon pays préféré' translates to 'France is my favorite country.'
Example sentences with pays →pendant
The French word for 'while' is 'pendant'. It is used in a similar way to the English 'while', indicating something that is happening at the same time as another action. It can also mean 'during' or 'for' when referring to a span of time. Examples include 'Je lis pendant que tu dors' which translates to 'I read while you sleep' and 'J'ai travaillé pendant trois heures' which means 'I worked for three hours'.
Example sentences with pendant →pensée
The French translation for 'thought' is 'pensée'. It is a feminine noun in French. It may refer to the act of thinking, a specific idea or consideration, or the mind’s capacity for intellectual activity in general. Depending on context, it might also mean opinion or judgment. It is used much like the English 'thought', as in the expression 'Je t'aime plus que tu ne le penses' which means 'I love you more than you think'.
Example sentences with pensée →penser
The French word 'penser' is used in very similar contexts to the English word 'think'. It can be used to express personal thoughts or opinions, ponder or consider something, or it can be used to imply intention to perform a particular action. Like its English counterpart, 'penser' can be coupled with many prepositions to articulate varying shades of nuances.
Example sentences with penser →perdre
The French word 'perdre' is a verb that translates to 'lose' in English. It is utilized mainly to denote the act of misplacing something or failing to win in a competition. Apart from its primary implication, it could also imply losing track or getting lost. For instance, 'J'ai perdu mon stylo' would mean 'I lost my pen' and 'J'ai perdu la course' would mean 'I lost the race'.
Example sentences with perdre →père
The French word for father is 'père'. It is commonly used in the same way as in English, to refer to one's biological paternal figure. It can also be used in some contexts to refer to a person who has played a significant male role in one's life. Additionally, 'père' can be used colloquially, much like the English 'old man', to refer to one's father.
Example sentences with père →Père Noël
In France, 'Père Noël', equivalent to Santa Claus, is a common figure of Christmas tradition. He brings gifts to children much like Santa Claus does in English-speaking cultures. He is also recognized and celebrated throughout the French-speaking world.
Example sentences with Père Noël →performance
In French, 'performance' retains the same spelling but is pronounced differently, with a French accent. It is often utilized in contexts such as arts, sports, or any other field to refer to the act of performing or accomplishing something. Just like in English, it can be used to gauge the degree of accomplishment of a task or achievement of objectives, often attaching to it a value of quality or effectiveness based on the observable outcomes.
Example sentences with performance →période
The French word for 'period' is 'période'. It's used similarly to English, referring to a span of time or end of a sentence. For example, in sentences like 'J'étudie pendant cette période' (I am studying during this period), or 'C'est la fin de la période' (It's the end of the period). It's not used to refer to menstrual cycles.
Example sentences with période →permettre
The French word 'permettre' is the equivalent of 'allow' in English. It's primarily used to give or grant permission for something or someone to do something. It can sometimes also denote the concept of making something possible or enabling something. Like English, the verb 'permettre' is often followed by an infinitive verb in a sentence.
Example sentences with permettre →personnage
The French word 'personnage' translates to 'character' in English. It is used in the same contexts as the English word, both in reference to fiction (characters in a book or movie) and as a way to describe someone's personality or qualities. However, it is not used to refer to a written symbol, like English does with 'character'.
Example sentences with personnage →personne
'Personne' translates to 'person' in English. It is a French noun used to refer to an individual or human being. This word is quite versatile and is used much the same way as in English. It can represent a man, a woman, a child, or an elderly person. It can also refer to a person in a general sense or specifically, as in 'C'est une bonne personne' which means 'He/She is a good person'.
Example sentences with personne →personnel
The word 'personnel' in French is used the same way as 'personal' in English. It is used to describe something belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else, or relating to their private life. It can be used in various contexts, such as personal belongings, personal feelings, personal life, etc. An example in a sentence could be 'C'est mon choix personnel', which translates to 'It's my personal choice'.
Example sentences with personnel →perte
The French word 'perte' translates to 'loss' in English. It is often used in contexts such as finance, death, or losing an object. Much like in English, 'perte' can be used in a broad range of situations, from the loss of physical objects to abstract concepts such as the loss of time.
Example sentences with perte →petit
The word 'petit' is used in French to describe something small in size. It is used similarly to how 'small' is used in English. For example, to describe a small house, one would say 'une petite maison'. Besides, it could also refer to someone who is not very tall. Note that 'petit' agrees with the gender and quantity of the noun it modifies.
Example sentences with petit →peu
The French word 'peu' is generally used as an adjective to indicate a small amount or degree of something. It is used similarly to 'little' in English, such as in the phrase 'un peu de sucre,' which means 'a little sugar.' However, the context of the sentence or phrase can sometimes lead to different translations, so it's always important to take that into consideration.
Example sentences with peu →peu importe
The French word 'peu importe' is used in the same way as 'whatever' in English. It is often used when the speaker doesn't care about the specific detail of something and can also be used to express indifference or nonchalance about the options available, as in 'Choose whichever you want, it doesn't matter to me'. Similar to its English equivalent, 'peu importe' can sometimes be seen as dismissive or rude if used in the wrong context.
Example sentences with peu importe →peut-être
The French word 'peut-être' is used similarly to the English word 'maybe.' It is typically used to express uncertainty or indecision. It can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, depending on the construct of the sentence. An example of its usage would be: 'Je viendrai peut-être', meaning 'I may come.'
Example sentences with peut-être →photo
The word 'photo' in French is also 'photo', pronounced slightly differently. It is a common term used in everyday conversation, and just like its English counterpart, it is used to refer to a picture taken by a camera. You can use it in phrases like 'prendre une photo' which means 'take a photo'.
Example sentences with photo →physique
In French, 'physique' is used to describe something related to the body or something which is material or tangible. Similar to English, it can be used in various contexts such as physical education (éducation physique), physical appearance (apparence physique), or physical science (science physique). Its usage is heavily dependent on context.
Example sentences with physique →pièce
The French word 'pièce' is primarily used to denote an individual item or a single unit of something, usually within a larger set or group. It can be used in a variety of contexts like in a game of chess where each individual unit is referred to as a 'pièce', or in reference to a 'pièce' of furniture. Similar to English, it can be used metaphorically, for example, in expressions like 'pièce de résistance' which refers to the most remarkable feature or highlight of something.
Example sentences with pièce →pied
The French word for 'foot' is 'pied'. It is used exactly as it is in English, referring to the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle, on which a person stands or walks. In phrases and idioms, however, the translations may vary. For instance, 'on foot' translates as 'à pied' in French.
Example sentences with pied →plan
The French word 'plan' is used in the same context as it is in English. It could indicate a proposal for doing or achieving something, a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something, a scheme for making, doing, or arranging something. It can also be a map or diagram drawn to scale, showing the arrangement, or workings of something.
Example sentences with plan →