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Frequently encountered French words, phrases, idioms, and false cognates
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À
|
To, at, in, sometimes by or for
|
À bien des
égards
|
With or in many respects
|
À bon compte
|
Cheap, little, lightly
|
À bon droit
|
With good reason, legitimately
|
À cause de
|
Because of
|
À cette effet
|
To that effect, to that end
|
À côté de
|
Beside
|
À coup sûr
|
Definitely
|
À force de
|
By dint of
|
À l'égard de
|
With regards to, concerning
|
À l'époque
|
At the time
|
À l'instar de
|
Following the example of, just as, like
|
À l'insu de
|
Unbeknownst to
|
À l'oppose
|
On the other hand
|
À l'oppose des
|
Contrary to
|
À la fois
|
Both, at the same time, at once
|
À la limite
|
Almost, ultimately
|
À la mesure de
|
Commensurate with
|
À la suite de
|
One after another, following
|
À la tête
|
At the head of
|
À laquelle
|
To which
|
À même de
|
Able to
|
À mesure que
|
As (progression in time)
|
À moins
que...(ne)
|
Unless
|
À nouveau
|
Again, once again
|
À partir de
|
From, beginning with, on the basis of
|
À peine
|
Barely
|
À peu près
|
Approximately
|
À plusieurs
reprises
|
On several occasions
|
À première vue
|
At first sight
|
À prendre parti
|
To take part in
|
À présent
|
Presently
|
À raison
|
Rightly
|
À savoir
|
Namely, to wit
|
À son égard
|
In its, his, her respect; with respect to
|
À son tour
|
In its turn
|
À titre
d'exemple
|
As an example
|
À titre de
|
Various translations:
as
|
À titre
provisoire
|
Temporarily
|
À tort
|
Wrongly
|
À travers
|
Through
|
À travers tout
|
Throughout
|
Aborder
|
To approach (as a text)
|
Abstraction
fait du
|
Leaving aside
|
Abusif
|
Improper, exorbitant, excessive
|
Actuel
|
Present, current
|
Actuellement
|
Presently, currently
|
Affirmer
|
To claim, assert, say, affirm
|
Afin que
|
In order that, so that
|
Aide (la)
|
Assistance
|
Aide (le)
|
Assistant
|
Ailleurs
|
Elsewhere
|
Ainsi
|
Thus, in this way / manner
|
Aller
|
- As an auxiliary verb: translate with a one word
verb when possible, otherwise use have. (Il est arrivé is
better translated he arrived than he has arrived, but he is
arrived is not correct).
- When used before a past participle that
normally does not take être as its auxiliary, the
participle is an adjective and être is translated
normally.
|
Aller de pair
avec
|
To go hand in hand with
|
Alors
|
Then
|
Alors même que
|
Even if, even though
|
Alors que
|
Whereas
|
Amorcer
|
To begin, to set into motion
|
Ancien
combattant (un)
|
A veteran
|
Ancien(ne)
|
- Before a noun: former
- After a noun: ancient, old
|
Apport
|
Contribution
|
Assez
|
Quite, rather
|
Assez + verbe
|
Enough
|
Assez de
|
Enough
|
Au cours de
|
In the course of, during
|
Au demeurant
|
All in all, all things considered
|
Au fond
|
Basically, fundamentally
|
Au fort de
|
At the height of, in the thick of
|
Au fur et à
mesure que
|
As (time progression)
|
Au lendemain de
|
In the wake of (usually figuratively), the next day
|
Au lieu de
|
Instead of
|
Au milieu de
|
In the middle of
|
Au moins
|
At least
|
Au plus fort de
|
At the height of, in the thick of
|
Au premier chef
|
Greatly
|
Au terme de
|
At the conclusion of, at the end of
|
Aucun
|
No , none) -- see
ne below
|
Aujourd'hui
|
Today
|
Auparavant
|
In the past, formerly
|
Auquel
|
To which
|
Aussi
|
- Also
- As
- Thus, therefore -- at the beginning of a
clause
|
Aussi adjectif que verbe
|
As adjective as verb: Aussi simple qu'utile -- as
simple as it is useful
|
Aussi bien...que
|
Both...and, or as well as (pg 148)
|
Aussi et avant
tout
|
Also, and above all
|
Aussi riche
soit-il
|
However rich he may be
|
Aussi variés
que soient ses aspects
|
However varied its aspects
|
Aussi...que
|
As [adjective] as
|
Aussitôt que
|
As soon as
|
Autant de ...que
|
As much [noun] as (or as many)
|
Autre
|
Other
|
Autrefois
|
In the past, formerly
|
Autrement dit
|
In other words
|
Auxquelles
|
To which
|
Auxquels
|
To which
|
Avant
|
Before
|
Avant tout
|
Before (above) all
|
Avec
|
With
|
Avoir à + verb
|
Expresses necessity --
« J'ai à travailler » : I have to work
|
Avoir beau +
infinitif
|
To do something in vain
|
Avoir besoin de
|
To need
|
Avoir chaud
|
To be hot
|
Avoir envie de
|
To want or feel like
|
Avoir faim
|
To be hungry
|
Avoir froid
|
To be cold
|
Avoir l'air +
adjectif
|
To appear
|
Avoir lieu
|
To take place
|
Avoir mis fin à
|
To put an end to
|
Avoir peur (de)
|
To be afraid (of)
|
Avoir pour
objet
|
To have as a goal, an objective
|
Avoir raison
|
To be right
|
Avoir recours à
|
To have recourse to, to resort to
|
Avoir soif
|
To be thirsty
|
Avoir tort
|
To be wrong
|
Avoir tout lieu
|
To have every reason
|
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W, or
Y.
Beaucoup
|
Very much
|
Beaucoup de
|
Many, much
|
Bel et bien
|
Truly, realy
|
Bien
|
Well, very
|
Bien de
|
Many, much, lots of
|
Bien entendu
|
Of course
|
Bien fondé
|
Validity
|
Bien plus
|
Much more
|
Bien que
|
Although
|
Bientôt
|
Soon
|
Biographes
|
Biographers
|
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W, or
Y.
C'est ainsi que
|
Thus it is that
|
C'est dire que
|
That is to say
|
C'est-à-dire
|
That is to say
|
Ça ne veut pas
dire
|
It doesn't mean, it doesn't follow
|
Car
|
Intra-urban bus, because
|
Ce dernier
|
This last (ms)
|
Ce qu
|
What
|
Ce que
|
A relative pronoun without an antecedent which is usually
translated what
|
Ce qui
|
A relative pronoun without an antecedent which is usually
translated what
|
Ce, cette, etc.
|
normally means this unless accompanied by a la or
referencing a noun accompanied by a la
|
Céder à
|
To yield to
|
Cela
|
Can mean either this or that
|
Celle
|
The one (f)
|
Celle de
|
That of, the one of (f)
|
Celle-ci
|
The latter (f)
|
Celle-la
|
The former (f)
|
Celles
|
The ones (f)
|
Celles de
|
Those of (f)
|
Celles-ci
|
The latter ones (f)
|
Celles-la
|
The former ones (f)
|
Celui
|
The one (m)
|
Celui de
|
That of, the one of (ms)
|
Celui-ci
|
The latter (m)
|
Celui-la
|
The former (m)
|
Centième
|
One-hundredth
|
Cependant
|
However
|
Certain
|
- Before a noun, certain
- After a noun, sure
|
Certes
|
Certainly, surely
|
Ces dernières
|
These last (fp)
|
Ces derniers
|
This last (mp)
|
Cesser de
|
To stop, cease
|
Cette dernière
|
This last (fs)
|
Ceux
|
The ones (m)
|
Ceux de
|
Those of (m)
|
Ceux-ci
|
The latter ones (m)
|
Ceux-la
|
The former ones (m)
|
Cinquième
|
Fifth
|
Coin (le)
|
Corner
|
Collège (un)
|
A high school
|
Combien de
|
How many
|
Comme tel
|
As such
|
Comment
|
How
|
Commodité
|
Convenience
|
Conçue
|
Conceived (pp de
concevoir)
|
Conférence (la)
|
The lecture
|
Confus(e)
|
Embarrassed
|
Conscience
|
Conscience, consciousness
|
Conséquence
|
Consequence, outcome, conclusion
|
Contre
|
Against
|
Correction
|
Correctness
|
Courant(e)
|
Ordinary, everyday
|
Court
|
Short
|
Crier
|
To shout
|
Critique (la)
|
Criticism
|
Critique (le)
|
Critic
|
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W, or
Y.
D'abord
|
At first, first of all
|
D'ailleurs
|
Moreover, besides
|
D'après
|
According to
|
D'autant plus
que
|
All the more so
|
D'autre part
|
Furthermore
|
D'autres
|
Other
|
D'emblée
|
From the outset
|
D'entre de jeu
|
From the outset
|
D'occasion
|
Used
|
D'une côté...de
l'autre
|
On one hand...on the other
|
D'une façon
générale
|
Generally speaking
|
D'une
part...d'autre part
|
On the one hand...on the other hand
|
Dans
|
In, into
|
Dans cette
mesure
|
To this extent
|
Dans l'ensemble
|
|
Dans la mesure où
|
To the extent that, in as much as, insofar as
|
Dans le même ordre d'idées
|
Along these same lines
|
De
|
Of, from
- Ignore de in front of an infinitive and
translate infinitive in to form
|
De façon que
|
So that
|
De fait
|
In fact
|
De gré ou de
force
|
Willy nilly!, like it or not!
|
De là
|
Hence, from there
|
De là cette
|
Hence
|
De laquelle
|
Of, from which
|
De manière que
|
So that
|
De même
|
Likewise
|
De même que
|
Just as
|
De nouveau
|
Again
|
De part et
autre
|
In both cases, on both sides, on either side
|
De peur que
|
For fear of
|
De plus en plus
|
More and more, increasingly
|
De sorte que
|
So that, in such a way that
|
De tout façon
|
In any case
|
De...à
|
From...to
|
Déborder
|
To overflow, to extend beyond
|
Déborder le
cadre
|
To go beyond the bounds
|
Déception (la)
|
Disappointment
|
Défendre
|
To forbid, to prohibit
|
Déjà
|
Already
|
Délivrer
|
To liberate
|
Demain
|
Tomorrow
|
Demander
|
To ask, to request
|
Démarche
intellectuelle (la)
|
Reasoning
|
Depuis
|
- When followed by a quantity of time,
translate as "for." « Nous étudions
depuis trois heures » translates as "we have been
studying for three hours."
- If the verb is imperfect, change the
verb to "had been [do]ing." « Nous
étudiions depuis trois heures »
translates as "we have been studying for three hours."
- If depuis is followed by clock time,
translate it as "since." « Nous sommes ici
depuis midi » translates as "we have been here
since noon."
|
Dérober
|
To escape, steal, or rob
|
Derrière
|
Behind
|
Des
|
Des, before an adjective that precedes a noun drops it's S
|
Dès
|
As early as
|
Dès à présent
|
Right here and now
|
Des données
|
Data, givens
|
Dès lors
|
From that moment on, from then on
|
Dès lors (que)
|
As soon as, since, as
|
Dès maintenant
|
Right now, henceforth, from now on
|
Dès que
|
As soon as, when
|
Descendre à l'hôtel
|
To stay at the hotel
|
Désormais
|
Henceforth
|
Desquelles
|
Of, from which
|
Desquels
|
Of, from which
|
Deuxième
|
Second
|
Devant
|
In front of, facing
|
Devoir
|
To owe
|
Devoir +
infinitif
|
To be obliged to, ought to, should
|
Distrait(e)
|
Absentminded, inattentive
|
Divers
|
Various, several, different
|
Dixième
|
Tenth
|
Donc
|
Therefore
|
Donner le
change
|
To allay suspicion
|
Donner lieu à
|
To give rise to
|
Dont
|
Of which, of whom, whose
|
Doubler
|
To pass (a car)
|
Drap (un)
|
A sheet
|
Dresser
|
To raise, to set up
|
Dresser une
liste
|
To draw up a list
|
Du coup
|
As a result
|
Du fait même
que
|
The very fact that
|
Du fait que
|
On account of, as a result of
|
Du moins
|
At least
|
Du reste
|
Furthermore
|
Duquel
|
Of, from which
|
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W, or
Y.
Écarter tout
équivoque
|
To dismiss all ambiguity
|
Économie
|
Economy, to save, to economize
|
Éditeur
|
Publisher
|
Effectivement
|
Effectively, actually, really
|
Embarras
|
Difficulty, trouble
|
Emporter sur
|
To prevail ove4r, to win over
|
Emprise
|
Sway, hold
|
En
|
- In, of it.
- It can also be a pronoun that replaces a noun
introduced by the preposition de (a direct object):
- E.g., J'ai envie de glace. J'en ai
envie = I want some ice cream. I want some.
- In this case, it generally (always?)
appears before a verb that is not a present participle.
- Translate by moving en after verb and
its direct object and substituting a de phrase
- When an article appears between en and a verb,
the article is a pronoun
- When preceding a present participle, translate
as "by" or "while."
|
En attendant
|
In the meantime, while waiting for
|
En cause
|
Involved, concerned, at stake
|
En dehors de
|
Outside of
|
En dehors de
laquelle
|
Outside of which
|
En dehors
desquelles
|
Outside of which
|
En dehors
desquels
|
Outside of which
|
En dehors
duquel
|
Outside of which
|
En dernier lieu
|
Finally, in the last analysis
|
En effet
|
In fact
|
En face de
|
Opposite to, facing
|
En fait
|
In fact
|
En fonction de
|
According to
|
En matière de
|
As regards
|
En même temps
|
At the same time
|
En outre
|
In addition, furthermore
|
En plus de
|
In addition to
|
En premier lieu
|
First of all, at first, first
|
En raison de
|
Because of, as a result of
|
En revanche
|
On the other hand
|
En scène
|
On stage
|
En sens inverse
|
Conversely
|
En tant que
|
As, as a
|
En tenant
compte de
|
By taking into account
|
En tête
|
Led by
|
En tous cas
|
In any case, in any event
|
En vertu de
|
In accordance with
|
En vigueur
|
Existing
|
Encore
|
Yet, still, again
|
Encore...ne
|
Though, yet:
« Encore
ne faut-il conclure » = "Though
one must not conclude that"
|
Enfin
|
Finally, at last
|
Ensemble
|
- Adjective, adverb: together
- Noun: Totality, whole, all of, a set (math)
|
Ensuite
|
Next, then
|
Entendre
|
To hear, understand, mean
|
Entre
|
Among, between, in
|
Entre-temps
|
In the meantime
|
Environ
|
Approximately, about
|
Envisager
|
To view, contemplate, envisage, consider
|
Eriger
quelqu'une en quelqu'une
|
To set up someone as someone
|
Errer
|
To wander
|
Et...et
|
Both...and
|
Etant donné que
|
Given (the fact) that
|
Étiquette
|
Etiquette, label, tag
|
Étranger
|
Foreigner, stranger, foreign, strange, unfamiliar
|
Être
|
- As an auxiliary verb: translate with a one
word verb when possible, otherwise use have. (Il est
arrivé is better translated he arrived than he has
arrived, but he is arrived is not correct).
- When used before a past participle that
normally does not take être as
its auxiliary, the participle is an adjective and
être is translated normally.
|
Eux
|
Them, they
|
Éventuellement
|
Possibly, theoretically
|
Évidement
|
Obviously
|
Eviter
|
To avoid
|
Examinons donc
|
Let us therefore examine
|
Expérience
|
Experiment, experience
|
Expérimenté(e)
|
Experienced
|
Exposition (la)
|
Exhibit, exhibition, display
|
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Faire
|
When followed by an infinitive:
1) Translate faire as "to
cause."
2) Read the following noun structure.
3) Read the infinitive as "to be" plus the past participle.
|
Faire aboutir
|
To bring to a conclusion
|
Faire
abstraction de
|
To leave aside, to disregard
|
Faire arriver
|
To deliver
|
Faire connaître
|
To make known
|
Faire défaut à
|
To be lacking, to lack
|
Faire des
économies
|
To save, to economize
|
Faire face
|
To face up to
|
Faire
intervenir
|
To involve
|
Faire oublier
il
|
To cause him to be forgotten
|
Faire partie de
|
To be a part of
|
Faire remarquer
que
|
To point out that
|
Faire savoir
|
To inform
|
Faire semblant
de
|
To pretend to
|
Faire son
possible
|
To do one's best
|
Faire un sort à
|
To stress or emphasize
|
Faire venir
|
To summon
|
Faire voir
|
To show
|
Figure (la)
|
Face
|
Fille majeure
|
Young woman come of age
|
Fixer
|
To establish, to attach
|
Fois
|
Time
- Une fois = once
- Deux fois = twice
|
Football (le)
|
Soccer
|
Force (la)
|
Strength, power
|
Forcément
|
Necessarily
|
Formation (la)
|
Training
|
Formation
professionnelle
|
Vocational training
|
Fort +
adjective
|
Very + adjective
|
Fort(e)
|
Strong
|
Fournir
|
To provide
|
Front (le)
|
Forehead
|
Fût-ce
|
If only, be it
|
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W, or
Y.
Gagner une vie
|
To make a living
|
Garder
|
To keep, retain, guard
|
Genèse (la)
|
Genesis
|
Grand(e)
|
- Before noun: great, major
- After noun: tall
|
Grappe (la)
|
Bunch
|
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I,
J,
K,
L,
M,
N,
O,
P,
Q,
R,
S,
T,
U,
V,
W, or
Y.
Hasard (le)
|
Chance
|
Hélas
|
Alas
|
Heureusement
|
Fortunately
|
Hier
|
Yesterday
|
Histoire (la)
|
Tale, story
|
Hors du temps
|
Outside of time
|
Hors-lieux
|
Spaces outside of
|
Hôte (le)
|
The guest
|
Hôtel
particulier (le)
|
Private house
|
Huit jours
|
8 days, 1 week
|
Huitième
|
Eighth
|
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A,
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E,
F,
G,
H,
I,
J,
K,
L,
M,
N,
O,
P,
Q,
R,
S,
T,
U,
V,
W, or
Y.
Ignorer
|
To be unaware of, not to know
|
Il convient de
[infinitif]
|
It is appropriate to [infinitive].
E.g. Il convient d'interroger = We should question
|
Il en est ainsi
|
So it is that
|
Il en est de
même pour
|
The same goes for
|
Il en résulte
que
|
It follows that, as a result, the result is that
|
Il en va de
même pour
|
The same goes for
|
Il en va tout
autrement pour
|
The case is very different for
|
Il est question
dans
|
It is dealt with in
|
Il était une
fois
|
Once upon a time
|
Il fait beau
|
The weather is beau
|
Il faut
|
It is necessary (to)
|
Il importe que
|
It is important that
|
Il n'en demeure
pas moins que
|
Still, nevertheless
|
Il ne faut pas
|
It, we, etc., must not
|
Il paraît que
|
It appears that
|
Il reste +
substantif
|
Noun remains
|
Il reste que
|
Remains, it remains
|
Il s'agit de
|
A matter of, concerning
|
Il s'ensuit que
|
It follows that
|
Il se peut
|
It is possible
|
Il se trouve
que
|
It so happens that
|
Il semble que
|
It seems that
|
Il y a
|
There is / are
- Il y a [+ time +] que : Translate
« Il y a trois heures que nous
étudions » translates as "We have been
studying for three hours."
- Il y a [+ time] (no que): Translate as "ago."
« Nous avons bu le prof il y a dix
minutes » becomes "We saw the professor ten
minutes ago. »
|
Il y a lieu
|
There is a reason
|
Il y a lieu de
|
It is necessary to
|
Important(e)
|
Big, large
|
In extremis
|
At the last moment
|
Inconvénient
(le)
|
A disadvantage
|
Inférieur(e)
|
Inferior, lower
|
Inhabité(e)
|
Uninhabited
|
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P,
Q,
R,
S,
T,
U,
V,
W, or
Y.
Jeu complet
|
Complete deck
|
Journée (la)
|
Day
|
Juge et partie
|
Judge and judged
|
Jusqu'à ce que
|
Until
|
Jusqu'en
|
Until
|
Jusqu'à
|
Up, to, even
|
Jusque là
|
Until then
|
Justement
|
Exactly, just, precisely, rightly, specifically
|
Juste-milieu
(le)
|
The happy medium
|
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J,
K,
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M,
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O,
P,
Q,
R,
S,
T,
U,
V,
W, or
Y.
L'ordre du jour
|
Agenda
|
Là
|
There
|
La mise en question
|
The calling into question
|
Là où
|
Can mean wherever
|
Laisser
|
When it serves as an auxiliary verb and is followed by an
infinitive,
- Read the subject,
- Then the verb (to allow),
- Then the next noun or pronoun,
- Then the dependent infinitive:
E.g. «Le soldat a laisse passer le fermier» = "The soldier
allowed the farmer to pass."
|
Laisser place à
|
Gives way to
|
Laquelle
|
Which (fs)
|
Le bien
|
Good
|
Le bien et le
mal
|
Good and evil
|
Le mal
|
Evil
|
Le mieux
|
The best
|
Le moins, les
moins
|
The least
|
Le plupart de
|
Most of
|
Le plus
|
The most
|
Le plus, la
plus, les plus
|
The most
|
Lendemain (le)
|
The next day
|
Lequel
|
Which (ms)
|
Les unes des
autres
|
Each other
|
Lesquelles
|
Which (fp)
|
Lesquels
|
Which (mp)
|
Leur
|
- Their in front of a noun
- To them in front of a verb
|
Leur (la)
|
Theirs (fs)
|
Leur (le)
|
Theirs (ms)
|
Leurs (les)
|
Theirs (mfp)
|
Licence (la)
|
Masters degree (approx)
|
Liés à
|
Linked to
|
Livre (la)
|
Pound (weight)
|
Livre (le)
|
Book
|
Location (la)
|
The rental
|
Longtemps
|
For a long time
|
Lorsque
|
When
|
Lui
|
To him
|
Lui-même
|
Himself
|
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M,
N,
O,
P,
Q,
R,
S,
T,
U,
V,
W, or
Y.
Machin (le)
|
Gadget, gizmo
|
Magasin (le)
|
The store, shop
|
Maintenant
|
Now
|
Mais
|
But
|
Mal
|
Badly
|
Malgré
|
In spite of, despite
|
Malheureusement
|
Unfortunately
|
Manche (la)
|
- Sleeve
- Can be English Channel if capitalized
|
Manche (le)
|
Handle
|
Manifestement
|
Obviously, manifestly
|
Manufacture
(la)
|
Factory
|
Masses de
terres
|
Landmasses
|
Mauvais
|
Bad
|
Meilleur(e)
|
Better
|
Même
|
- Before noun: same
- After noun, very, itself
- Last word in a clause: even
|
Même si
|
Even if
|
Mémoire (la)
|
Memory
|
Mémoire (le)
|
Bill, memoir
|
Mettre
|
To put or place
|
Mettre au point
|
To clarify, perfect
|
Mettre en avant
|
To put in the forefront
|
Mettre en cause
|
To call into question, to implicate
|
Mettre en
danger
|
To jeopardize, endanger
|
Mettre en
évidence
|
To bring to the fore, to give prominence to
|
Mettre en garde
|
To warn
|
Mettre en
lumière
|
To bring something out, to highlight
|
Mettre en Âœuvre
|
To apply, to implement
|
Mettre en
parallèle
|
To compare
|
Mettre en
valeur
|
To bring out, to highlight
|
Mettre fin à
|
To put an end to
|
Mien (le)
|
Mine (ms)
|
Mienne (la)
|
Mine (fs)
|
Miennes (les)
|
Mine (fp)
|
Miens (les)
|
Mine (mp)
|
Mieux
|
Better
|
Millième
|
One-thousandth
|
Ministre (le)
|
The statesman
|
Mise au point
|
A clarification
|
Mise en
évidence
|
Demonstration
|
Mise en Âœuvre
|
An application
|
Mise en scène
|
Production, enactment
|
Misérable
|
Poor, worthless
|
Misère
|
Poverty, misery
|
Mode (la)
|
Fashion
|
Mode (le)
|
Manner, mood
|
Modérantiste
|
Moderating
|
Moins
|
Less
|
Moins de
|
Less, fewer
|
Moins de...que
|
Fewer [noun] than
|
Moins...que
|
Fewer [adjective] than
|
Monnaie (la)
|
Change, currency
|
Monument (le)
|
Monument, public building
|
Moral (le)
|
Morale
|
Morale (la)
|
Ethic, lesson
|
Moule (la)
|
Mussel
|
Moule (le)
|
Model, mould
|
Moyen-âge
|
Middle age(s)
|
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W, or
Y.
N'a plus qu'à +
infinitive
|
Has only to infinitive
|
N'a sans doute
pas su éviter l'emprise
|
Has not avoided the grip
|
N'avoir rien
voir avec
|
To have nothing to do with
|
N'importe quel
|
Any, any whatever
|
Ne + encore
|
Though, yet
|
Ne faire que +
infinitif
|
Constantly, merely
|
Ne pouvoir
pas se passer
|
Not be able to do without
|
Ne...
|
- Can sometimes be disregarded after an
expression beginning with que (see page 11 in Bible)
E.g. « à moins que...ne »
- Still negates unless in the following
structures:
- À moins que...ne (unless)
- De peur que...ne (for fear that)
- Note that the presence of a pas still
negates these structures:
- Negates COPS
- Cesser
- Oser
- Pouvoir
- Savoir
- Ne expletive
- No negation implied<
- E.g. « avant qu'il ne
vienne » means "before he comes."
|
Ne...aucun(e)
|
No [mentioned item]
|
Ne...guère
|
Scarcely
|
Ne...jamais
|
Never
|
Ne...nul(le)
|
No [mentioned item]
|
Ne...nullement
|
Does not...at all
|
Ne...personne
|
No one
|
Ne...plus
|
No longer
|
Ne...plus que
|
No longer except
|
Ne...que
|
Only
|
Ne...rien
|
Nothing
|
Ne...rien d'autre
que
|
Nothing other than
|
Néanmoins
|
Nevertheless
|
Net(te)
|
Clear, distinct, neat, clean
|
Neuvième
|
Ninth
|
Ni...ni
|
Neither, Nor
|
Non
seulement...mais
|
Not only...but also
|
Notoriété (la)
|
Fame, good reputation
|
Nôtre (la)
|
Ours (fs)
|
Nôtre (le)
|
Ours (ms)
|
Nôtres (les)
|
Ours (mfp)
|
Nous
|
Us, we -- this pronoun is sometimes used to summarize a
compound subject containing the first person, in which case, it is not translated:
« Jean et moi, nous avons » becomes "Jean and I have."
|
Nul n'est tenu
|
Nobody is required
|
Nulle part
|
Nowhere
|
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W, or
Y.
Occasion (la)
|
Chance, occasion, opportunity
|
Office (la)
|
Pantry
|
Office (le)
|
Public function, church service
|
On
|
- When on plus a verb is followed by a noun
structure (direct object), translate the noun structure first,
then the verb in the passive form: on parle
français becomes French is spoken.
- When on plus a verb is followed by a
que clause, it may be necessary to use the more literal one
or they for on, or it is plus the past participle: on
dit que l'expérience est finie becomes it
is said or they said the experience is finished
- When on follows the mention of one or more
people, translate as "one" rather than "they" since it does
not refer to that person or persons
|
Or
|
Gold
|
Ordre du jour
(le)
|
Agenda
|
Où
|
Where
|
Ou bien...ou
alors
|
Either...or else
|
Où que vous
alliez
|
Wherever you go
|
Ou...ou
|
Either...or
|
Outre
|
Besides, further, in addition
|
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W, or
Y.
Page (la)
|
A leaf in a book
|
Page (le)
|
The page boy
|
Papier (le)
|
Paper -- not newspaper
|
Par
|
By, through, for, per
|
Par ailleurs
|
Furthermore
|
Par bonheur
|
Fortunately
|
Par ce fait
|
By this fact, thereby
|
Par ce fait
même
|
By that very fact, by the same token
|
Par contre
|
On the other hand (introduces a contrast)
|
Par la même
|
By that very fact, by the same token
|
Par la suite
|
Subsequently, later
|
Par rapport à
|
In relation to, in relationship to/with
|
Par suite de
|
As a result of, consequently
|
Par surcroît
|
Moreover, in addition
|
Parce que
|
Because
|
Pareil(le)
|
Same, similar, such
|
Pareillement
|
Similarly
|
Parent
|
Parent, relative
|
Parfois
|
Sometimes
|
Parmi
|
Among
|
Parmi celles-ci
|
Among these, those
|
Parmi ceux-ci
|
Among these, those
|
Partager
|
To share
|
Parte à faux
|
Slanted, precariously balanced, awkward
|
Parti pris
|
Prejudice, bias
|
Particulier
|
Private, special (m)
|
Particulière
|
Private, special (f)
|
Partie
|
Part
|
Partir de
|
To begin
|
Partout
|
Everywhere
|
Partout
ailleurs
|
Everywhere else
|
Pas (le)
|
The pass (mountain), step
|
Pas du tout
|
Not at all
|
Pas encore
|
Not yet
|
Passer
|
To pass
|
Passer + time
|
To spend time
|
Passer un examen
|
To take an examination
|
Peine (la)
|
The difficulty
|
Pendant
|
During
|
Pendule (la)
|
Clock
|
Pendule (le)
|
Pendulum
|
Persévérant
|
Persevering
|
Personnage (le)
|
The play or novel character
|
Personne
|
Nobody, no one
|
Pétition de
principe
|
Begging the question
|
Peu
|
Creates antonym --
peu>
profonde (deep) becomes shallow
|
Peu de
|
Very few, very little
|
Peu de temps
|
Little time
|
Peu importe
|
What does it matter / It doesn't matter
|
Peu importe de
|
No matter that
|
Peu solide
|
Weak
|
Peuple (le)
|
Nation
|
Peut être
|
Can be
|
Peut-être
|
Perhaps
|
Photographe
(le)
|
Photographer
|
Phrase (la)
|
Sentence
|
Physicien (le)
|
The physicist
|
Pièce (la)
|
The room, play, document, coin
|
Pire
|
Worse
|
Placard (le)
|
The closet
|
Plaisent
|
3rd person plural of
plaire
|
Plat(e)
|
Flat
|
Plupart de (la)
|
Most (of)
|
Plus
|
More
|
Plus de
|
More
|
Plus de...que
|
More [noun] than
|
Plus haut
|
Regarding text:
above, earlier
|
Plus ou moins
|
More or less
|
Plus..., plus...
|
The more..., the more...
|
Plus...que
|
More [adjective] than
|
Plusieurs
|
Several
|
Plutôt
|
Rather
|
Poêle (la)
|
Frying pan
|
Poêle (le)
|
Stove
|
Point de vue
|
Point of view
|
Portant
|
Concerns, structural, supporting
|
Portée (la)
|
Range, reach, scope, capacity, impact, import
|
Porter sur
|
To concern, to bear upon
|
Poser
|
To pose, place, put, ask
|
Pour
|
For
- Preceding an infinitive -- in order to -- does
not apply to avoir or être when they are used as
auxiliary verbs
|
Pour + clause
|
In order that, so that
|
Pour ainsi dire
|
So to speak
|
Pour autant
|
For all that
|
Pour en faire
|
In order to make
|
Pour que
|
In order that, so that
|
Pour un part
|
Partly, to some extent
|
Pour vraies que
soient vos conclusions
|
However true your conclusions may be
|
Pourquoi
|
Why
|
Pourtant
|
However, nevertheless, yet
|
Pourvu que
|
Provided that
|
Pouvoir
|
When used as an auxiliary, translate as can when possible
|
Pouvoir (le)
|
Power
|
Premier, première
|
First
|
Prendre
conscience de
|
To become aware of, conscious
|
Prendre en
charge
|
To take under one's responsibility
|
Près (de)
|
Near, nearby
|
Présenter
|
To present, offer, introduce
|
Presque
|
Almost
|
Prétendre
|
To claim
|
Prévenir
|
To warn, to inform
|
Prévention (la)
|
Prejudice
|
Prise de
conscience
|
An awareness
|
Procès (le)
|
Indictment, trial, hearing
|
Prochain
|
Next
|
Procurer
|
To provide, to obtain something for someone
|
Procureur (le)
|
Magistrate
|
Proposition
(la)
|
Grammatical clause
|
Propre
|
- Before noun: own<
- After noun: neat, clean
|
Proprement dit
|
Per se, properly speaking
|
Pseudo
Clémentin
|
Adjective -- pseudo Clementine
|
Publiciste
|
Advertising executive or public law specialist
|
Puis
|
Then, after, moreover, next
|
Puisque
|
Seeing that, because, since
|
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U,
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W, or
Y.
Qu'
|
Represents que,
qui is never contracted
|
Qu'elle soit
honnête n'est pas la question
|
That she is honest is not the issue
|
Qu'il s'agisse
de...ou de...
|
Whether it's a question of...or...
|
Qu'il soit
riche ou pauvre, peu importe
|
He may be rich or poor, it doesn't matter
|
Qu'on le
veuille ou pas
|
Whether or not one likes it
|
Quai (le)
|
Train station platform
|
Quand
|
When
|
Quand bien même
|
Even though, even if
|
Quand de
|
When
|
Quant à
|
As to, with regard to
|
Quart (le)
|
Quarter
|
Quatrième
|
Fourth
|
Que
|
What, that, which, whom, than
- Que and qu' and a verb
- The next independent noun phrase
is the direct object of the verb:
Le lion qu'a tué Jean = The lion
that Jean killed
- Que and qu' but not qui
are always objects
- Translation rules for inversion after que or
qu' (but not qui):
- Translate que or qu' as that
- Translate the next noun group
- Translate the verb
- Voilà les données qu'a
examinées ce physicien = There are the data
that this physicist examined
|
Que je sache
|
As far as I know
|
Quel
|
Which, what
|
Quel peut bien
être l'intérêt...
|
Of what real interest is...
|
Quelconque
|
Whatever
|
Quelle
|
Which, what
|
Quelles que
soient vos décisions
|
Whatever your decisions (may be)
|
Quelque part
|
Somewhere
|
Quelque peu
|
Somewhat
|
Quelquefois
|
Sometimes
|
Quelques
|
A few
|
Quels que sont
les résultats
|
Whatever the results may be
|
Qui
|
Who, whom, which, that -- always a subject
|
Qui que vous
soyez
|
Whoever you are ("
être" in the subjunctive)
|
Quinze jours
|
15 days, 2 weeks
|
Quitter
|
To leave
|
Quoi que vous
fassiez
|
Whatever you do ("faire" in the subjunctive)
|
Quoique
|
Although (=bien
que) + subjunctive
|
Quoique vous
fassiez
|
Whatever you do
|
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Y.
Raisin (un)
|
Grape
|
Raison e'Etat
|
Reasons of state
|
Ralentir
|
To slow down
|
Rayon (le)
|
The ray, beam, shelf
|
Réalisation
(la)
|
Accomplishment
|
Réaliser
|
To achieve, to realize
|
Réclamer
|
To ask for, demand
|
Recommencer
|
To resume
|
Reconnaissance
(la)
|
Gratitude
|
Recourir à
|
To have recourse to, to resort to
|
Regretter
|
To miss or long for
|
Relation (la)
|
Friend or acquaintance
|
Remarquer
|
To notice
|
Remettre en
cause
|
To question, to challenge
|
Remettre en
question
|
Call into question, challenge
|
Remettre sur le
métier
|
To make improvements
|
Remonter
|
To go back up
|
Rendre +
adjectif
|
To make + adjective
|
Rendre compte
de
|
To account for
|
Rente (la)
|
Yearly income
|
Répétition (la)
|
Rehearsal
|
Reposer sur
|
To be based upon or depend upon
|
Rester
|
To stay, remain
|
Retirer
|
To remove
|
Retourner
|
To go back
|
Réunion (la)
|
Meeting
|
Revue (la)
|
Magazine
|
Rien à voir
avec
|
Nothing to do with
|
Roman (le)
|
Novel
|
Rude
|
Crude, rough
|
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S'effondrer
|
To collapse, to cave in
|
S'efforcer à
|
To strive to, to endeavor to
|
S'imposer à
|
To impose upon, to be essential to, vital to
|
S'intéresser à
|
To be interested in
|
S'interpréter
|
To express
|
Sage
|
Well behaved, prudent
|
Sale
|
Dirty, nasty
|
Saluer
|
To greet
|
Sans
|
Without
|
Sans + verbe
|
Without + ing form of verb
|
Sans cesse
|
Constantly
|
Sans doute
|
- Old usage: Without doubt
- New usage: Perhaps
|
Sans parler de
|
Not to mention
|
Sans que +
clause
|
Without + ing form
|
Savoir
|
- When followed by a noun, savoir means to know
a fact
- When followed immediately by an
infinitive it means to know how to -- translate as can
- Do not confuse with connaître --
to be acquainted
- Su + noun = found out: Il a su la
vérité = He found out the truth
- Su + infinitive = managed to: Il a su finir
le travail = He managed to finish the work
- Negative of savoir in conditional:
"not be able to" « Elle ne saurait vous
comprendre » = "She is unable to understand you."
|
Scholastique
|
Scholarly
|
Science
|
Knowledge
|
Sciences
humaines (les)
|
Social studies
|
Se basant sur
|
To base one's judgment on
|
Se dégager de
|
To be drawn from, to emerge from, to free somebody or
something
|
Se douter que
|
To suspect that
|
Se enfuir
|
To run away, flee
|
Se justifier
|
To be justified
|
Se mettre à
[infinitif]
|
To begin
|
Se passer
|
To take place or to happen
|
Se passer de
|
To do or manage without, to dispense with
|
Se plaindre
de + substantif
|
To complain
|
Se poser (une
question)
|
To come up (a question)
|
Se rappeler de
|
To remember, to recall
|
Se rendre
compte de
|
To realize that, to be aware, conscious
|
Se retourner
|
To turn around
|
Se sauver
|
To escape, run away
|
Se server de
|
To use
|
Se souvenir de
|
To remember
|
Se trouver
|
To be found, to find oneself (sometimes omitted in
English)
|
Second
|
Second
|
Selon
|
According to
|
Sensible
|
Sensitive, perceptive
|
Sentence
|
Aphorism, maxim
|
Septième
|
Seventh
|
Servir à
|
To be used for
|
Seul(e)
|
- Before noun: only, single
- After noun: alone
|
Si
|
If, so, however
- Always if at beginning of a sentence
- So only in front of adjectives and adverbs
- Sometimes however as in:
« si pauvre soit-il », "however poor he
is"
|
Si bien que
|
So much so, to the extent that
|
Si ce n'est
(que)
|
Except (that)
|
Si célèbre
soit-il
|
How famous he (it) is
|
Si riche qu'il
soit
|
However rich he may be
|
Si riche
soit-il
|
However rich he may be
|
Sien (le)
|
His (ms)
|
Sienne (la)
|
His (fs)
|
Siennes (les)
|
His (fp)
|
Siens (les)
|
His (mp)
|
Simpliste
|
Simplistic
|
Sinon
|
If not, or else, otherwise
|
Situation (la)
|
Job, position, condition
|
Sixième
|
Sixth
|
Soit...soit
|
Either...or
|
Somme (la)
|
Sum (math)
|
Somme (le)
|
Nap, sleep
|
Sort (la)
|
Fate
|
Soulever
|
To raise, to pose (as a question)
|
Sous
|
Under
|
Sous forme de
|
In the form of
|
Sous la forme
de
|
As
|
Sous peine de
|
Lest, for fear of
|
Souvenir (le)
|
Memory
|
Souvent
|
Often
|
Spirituel(le)
|
Witty
|
Store (le)
|
Window shade
|
Succéder
|
To come after, to follow
|
Suivre
|
To follow
|
Supplier
|
To beg, to implore
|
Supporter
|
To endure, to bear
|
Sur
|
On
|
Sûr
|
Sure
|
Sur bien des
|
On a good many
|
Sur le plan
[scientifique]
|
[Scientifically] speaking
|
Sur le plan du
|
As far as
|
Sur le vie
|
From life
|
Sur le vif
|
On the spot, in the moment
|
Surtout
|
Especially, above all
|
Sympathique
|
Likable, congenial
|
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Tandis que
|
Whereas, while
|
Tant
|
So, so much
|
Tant de
|
- With a plural noun: so many -- «
tant de choses » means "so many things"
- With a singular noun: so much --
« tant d'argent » means so much
silver
|
Tant les
|
Given the extent to which
|
Tant que
|
As long as
|
Telle (une)
|
Such
|
Tel que
|
Such as
|
Tendre à
|
To aim at
|
Tenir à +
infinitif
|
To be anxious to do something
|
Tenir à + substantif
|
Is due to, stems from, is ascribed to
|
Tenir compte
(de)
|
To take into account, to factor in
|
Tien (le)
|
Yours (fam, ms)
|
Tienne (la)
|
Yours (fam, fs)
|
Tiennes (les)
|
Yours (fam, fp)
|
Tiens (les)
|
Yours (fam, mp)
|
Toujours
|
Always or still. It
is always "still" at the beginning of a phrase
|
Toujours est-il
que
|
Be that as it may, nevertheless, still
|
Tour (la)
|
Tower
|
Tour (le)
|
Turn (to do something), trick
|
Tour à tour
|
In turn
|
Tous autant que
nous sommes
|
The whole lot of us are
|
Tous les
|
All the
|
Tous (les) deux
|
Both
|
Tout [évident]
|
Quite evident
|
Tout à coup
|
Suddenly
|
Tout à fait
|
Completely
|
Tout à l'heure
|
Right away, just now, a moment ago
|
Tout à long
|
Throughout
|
Tout au moins
|
At least
|
Tout au plus
|
At most
|
Tout aussi bien
que
|
Quiet as much as
|
Tout autre
|
Quite otherwise
|
Tout ce que
|
Everything that
|
Tout compte
fait
|
All in all, all things considered
|
Tout d'abord
|
First of all
|
Tout d'un coup
|
At one go
|
Tout de même
|
Just the same
|
Tout de suite
|
Immediately
|
Tout en notant
|
All the while noting
|
Tout le
|
The whole, the entirety
|
Tout le monde
|
Everybody
|
Toutes les
|
All the
|
Tout(e)
|
Each, every, the whole (with le)
|
Toutefois
|
However
|
Traitement (le)
|
Professional salary
|
Translation
(la)
|
Transfer
|
Travailler
|
To work
|
Traversé de
contradictions
|
Rife with contradictions
|
Très
|
Very
|
Troisième
|
Third
|
Trop
|
Too, too much
|
Trop de
|
Too much / many of
|
Tuteur (le)
|
Guardian
|
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Unique
|
Single
|
Usé(e)
|
Worn, worn
out, threadbare
|
User
|
To wear down,
to deteriorate
/p>
|
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Vacance (la)
|
Vacancy
|
Vacances (les)
|
Vacation
|
Vague (la)
|
Wave (water)
|
Venir
|
To come
|
Venir de
|
Venir de plus
an infinitive expresses the idea of just having done something.
E.g.
« Nous venons d'examiner ce cas » is translated "We have
just examined the case."
|
Vers
|
Towards, about
|
Versatile
|
Indecisive
|
Vilain
|
Mean
|
Viser (à)
|
To aim (to, at)
|
Visiter
|
To visit (place, not people)
|
Vite
|
Quickly
|
Vive le
révolution
|
Long live the revolution
|
Voici
|
Here is, here are
|
Voilà
|
There is, there are
|
Voile (la)
|
Sail (of a ship)
|
Voile (le)
|
Veil
|
Voir
|
To see
|
Voire
|
Indeed, even
|
Volonté (la)
|
The will
|
Vôtre (la)
|
Yours (fs)
|
Vôtre (le)
|
Yours (ms)
|
Vôtres (les)
|
Yours (mfp)
|
Vouloir
|
To want
|
Vraiment
|
Truly, really
|
Vue d'ensemble
|
An overview
|
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Wagon
|
Railway car, subway car
|
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Y
|
- There
- It (referring to a phrase)(pg 137)
|
Y compris
|
Including
|
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