French word for it is given

    • Voir également :
      • give off
      • give out
      • give over
      • give rise to
      • give up
      • give up on
      • give way
      • give-up
      • giveaway
      • giveback
      • given
      • given name
      • given that
      • giver
      • giving
      • gizmo
      • gizzard
      • glabella
      • glabrous
      • glace
      • glacé
    • Recherches récentes :
    • Voir tout

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From the verb give: (⇒ conjugate)
given is: Click the infinitive to see all available inflections
v past p
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Sur cette page : given, give

WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:

Principales traductions
Anglais Français
given adj (specified) donné adj
  You can easily split the table into a given number of columns.
  On peut facilement diviser ce tableau en un nombre donné de colonnes.
given prep (granted, considering) étant donné
  Given his reputation, I’m not sure we should hire him.
  Étant donné sa réputation, je ne recommanderais pas son embauche.
given to doing [sth] adj (tending to do) avoir tendance à faire [qch] vi
  She is much given to staying out late.
  Elle a tendance à rester dehors tard dans la nuit.
given n (obvious fact) évidence nf
    évident, sûr adj
   (plus familier) forcé, obligé adj
  It’s a given that he’ll be late for the wedding.
  Il sera en retard pour le mariage, c’est sûr.

WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:

Principales traductions
Anglais Français
give [sb] [sth] vtr (hand, pass: [sb] [sth]) donner [qch] à [qqn], passer [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  Could you give me that book over there, please?
  Peux-tu me donner (or: passer) le livre là-bas, s’il te plaît ?
give [sth] to [sb] vtr (hand, pass: [sth] to [sb]) donner [qch] à [qqn], passer [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  Can you give that book to me?
  Peux-tu me donner (or: passer) le livre là-bas, s’il te plaît ?
give [sb] [sth] vtr (as a gift) (un cadeau) offrir [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  She gave me a tie for my birthday.
  Elle m’a offert une cravate pour mon anniversaire.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (provide) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  Can you give me something to eat?
  Peux-tu me donner quelque chose à manger ?
give [sb] [sth],
give [sb] [sth] for [sth]
vtr
(pay) (payer) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  I’ll give you five hundred dollars for that car.
  Je te donne cinq cents dollars pour ta voiture.
give [sth] vtr (supply) produire⇒, fournir⇒ vtr
  The furnace gives heat to the entire house.
  Ce réchaud produit de la chaleur pour toute la maison. (Or: Ce réchaud chauffe toute la maison.)
give [sb] [sth] vtr (assign, allot) (une place) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (un travail, une place) offrir [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  After three interviews she was given the job.
  Après trois entretiens, on lui a donné la place.
  Après trois entretiens, on lui a offert le poste.
Traductions supplémentaires
Anglais Français
give n informal (tendency to yield) flexible adj
    avoir tendance à fléchir loc v
   (figuré) souplesse nf
  The floor has a bit of give in it.
  Le parquet est un peu flexible.
  Le parquet a tendance à fléchir.
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Ces propositions manquent de souplesse.
give⇒ vi (contribute) donner⇒ vi
  Please give generously.
  Donnez autant que vous le pouvez.
give vi (compromise) (personne) céder⇒, fléchir⇒ vi
  Someone has to give or we’ll be here all night.
  Quelqu’un doit céder ou bien nous allons passer la nuit ici.
give vi (yield under pressure) (objet) fléchir⇒ vi
  This door gives when you lean on it.
  La porte fléchit si l’on y applique une pression.
give vi (collapse) (chaise, toit,…) céder⇒ vi
  The chair gave underneath him.
  La chaise a cédé sous son poids.
give [sth] vtr (present, perform) (un spectacle) donner⇒ vtr
  She’s giving a piano concert tonight.
  Elle donne un récital de piano ce soir.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (place in [sb]‘s care) confier [qch] à [qqn], donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  I gave them the house keys for the week.
  Je leur ai confié les clés de la maison pour une semaine.
give [sth] vtr (utter) (un cri, un soupir) pousser⇒ vtr
   (une réponse) donner⇒ vtr
   (un verdict) rendre⇒ vtr
  He gave a shout and ran towards her.
  Il a poussé un cri et s’est mis à courir vers elle.
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Il a dit qu’il donnerait (or: rendrait) sa réponse demain.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (cause) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (plus soutenu) procurer [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  It gives me great pleasure to welcome you tonight.
  Cela me donne beaucoup de plaisir de vous inviter ce soir (or: Cela me fait plaisir de vous inviter).
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Cette invitation lui procura beaucoup de plaisir.
give [sth] to [sth],
give [sth] for [sth]
vtr
(donate) faire don de [qch] à [qch] loc v + prép
    donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  He gave his heart and lungs to science.
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Il a fait don de tous ses biens.
  Il a donné son cœur et ses poumons à la science.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (infect) (une maladie) transmettre [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (familier) passer [qch] à [qqn], repasser [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (familier) filer [qch] à [qqn] refiler [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  She’s given me her cold.
  NEW : Le chien de la voisine a transmis la rage à mon cochon d’Inde.
  Elle m’a filé (or: Elle m’a refilé) son rhume.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (deliver) transmettre [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
    faire part de [qch] à [qqn] loc v + prép
  Give them our fondest regards.
  Transmets-leur nos amitiés.
  Fais-leur part de nos amitiés.
give [sth] to [sb] vtr (inflict) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (figuratif, familier) coller [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (plus soutenu) infliger [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  He gave detention to the whole class.
  Il a donné des heures de retenue à toute la classe.
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Le maître lui a collé des devoirs supplémentaires.
  Cette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. La cour lui infligea une peine sévère.
give [sb] [sth] vtr (administer) (un médicament) donner [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
   (soutenu) administrer [qch] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  How much aspirin should I give her?
  Quelle dose d’aspirine dois-je lui donner ?
give [sth] to [sth],
give [sth] for [sth]
vtr
(devote) consacrer [qch] à [qch], dédier [qch] à [qch], léguer [qch] à [qch] vtr + prép
  She gave her life to the human rights movement.
  Elle a consacré (or: dédié, or: légué) sa vie à la défense des droits de l’Homme.
give [sb] [sb] vtr (make pregnant) (un enfant) donner [qqn] à [qqn] vtr + prép
  Her husband gave her two boys within three years of the wedding.
  Son mari lui donna deux fils trois ans après leur mariage.

WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:

Formes composées
given | give
Anglais Français
get a battering,
receive a battering,
take a battering,
be given a battering
v expr
(be beaten, damaged) être endommagé loc v
    être malmené loc v
    souffrir⇒ vi
  Our garden shed took a battering in the hurricane.
get a battering,
receive a battering,
take a battering,
be given a battering
v expr
figurative (suffer) être malmené loc v
    souffrir⇒ vi
  The film got a battering from critics.
get a thrashing,
take a thrashing,
be given a thrashing
v expr
figurative, informal (be defeated: at sport, etc.) (familier : perdre) se prendre une raclée, se prendre une déculottée, prendre une raclée, prendre une déculottée loc v
   (très familier) se prendre une branlée loc v
  The Democrats took a thrashing on Election Day.
  Les Démocrates se sont pris une raclée (or: ont pris une raclée) à l’élection.
given half a chance,
given half the chance
expr
figurative, informal (if allowed, able) si [qqn] en a l’occasion
    si on en donne l’occasion à [qqn]
  I would take that job, given half a chance.
  Je prendrais ce travail si on m’en donnait l’occasion
given name n (first name) prénom nm
  Mrs. Johnson’s given name is Edith.
  Le prénom de Mme Johnson est Edith.
given names npl (first, middle names) prénoms nmpl
  Mr. Wilson’s given names are Howard and Nicholas.
  Les prénoms de M. Wilson sont Howard et Nicholas.
given that conj (in view of the fact that) vu que conj
    étant donné que conj
    compte tenu du fait que conj
  Given that you weren’t really listening, I see why you don’t understand.
  Vu que tu n’écoutais pas vraiment, je vois pourquoi tu ne comprends pas.
given the circumstances adv (in view of the situation) étant donné les circonstances, vu les circonstances expr
God given,
God-given
adj
(welcomed or cherished) tombé du ciel adj
Note: A hyphen is used when the adjective comes before the noun it modifies.
    être un don du Ciel, être un don de Dieu loc v
God given,
God-given
adj
(inborn, natural) inné adj
Note: A hyphen is used when the adjective comes before the noun it modifies.
  Elle a un don inné pour le piano.
it’s a given expr (it’s a fact) il n’y pas de doute, ça ne fait pas de doute expr
  There is going to be a big line-up for tickets: it’s a given. It’s a given that junk food is not good for your health.
  Les gens vont faire la queue pour ces tickets : il n’y a pas de doute.
    c’est une évidence expr
    c’est évident, il est évident que expr
    cela va de soi, il va de soi que expr
   (familier) c’est obligé, c’est forcé expr
  Tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée : c’est une évidence !
  Il est évident que tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée (or: Tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée : c’est évident !). Il est évident que la malbouffe n’est pas bonne pour la santé.
  Il va de soi que tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée (or: Tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée : cela va de soi !). Il va de soi que la malbouffe n’est pas bonne pour la santé.
  Tous les tickets vont être vendus dans la journée : c’est obligé !
take a bashing,
get a bashing,
receive a bashing,
be given a bashing
v expr
figurative, informal (be attacked verbally, in writing) (figuré, familier) se faire descendre loc v
  The movie took a bashing from the critics.
  Le film s’est fait descendre par la critique.

given‘ également trouvé dans ces entrées :

Dans la description anglaise :

Français :

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french word for — перевод на русский

Haven’t you got a French word for it?

Вы не можете подобрать французское слово для этого?

I didn’t know the English or the French word for this thing.

Я не знал ни английского, ни французского названия для этой штуки.

You know, it’s funny, you can always tell. Starts using French words for no reason.

Забавно, но это всегда можно узнать по тому, как он без причины начинает вставлять французские словечки.

What is the French word for «stakeout»?

Как по-французски будет «засада»?

That’s the French word for bluebird.

«Луазо Блё» — Так звучит «Синяя птица» по-французски.

Показать ещё примеры…

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french vocab

By
Last updated:

March 10, 2023

Learning vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of learning French.

By knowing the most common vocabulary, you’ll get better at everyday communication—which gets you closer to interacting with some of the 300 million people who speak French around the world. 

In this post, we’ll get you started with more than 250 easy and common French words!

You’ll be well on your way to having a solid base in the French language in no time. 

Contents

  • Most Common French Words
  • Important French Verbs
  • French Question Words
  • French Household Words
  • French Words for Food & Drinks
  • French Words for School or Work
  • French Words for Making Descriptions
  • French Words for Animals & Nature


Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Most Common French Words

hello in french

Let’s start with some essential vocabulary that you’ll end up using a lot in French conversations: 

  • Bonjour ! Hello / Good morning!
  • Bonsoir ! Good evening!
  • Oui — Yes
  • Non — No
  • Excusez-moi — Excuse me
  • Je suis désolé / Je suis désolée I’m sorry (with an extra e if you’re female)
  • S’il vous plaît Please 
  • Merci Thank you
  • À bientôt See you soon
  • Bonne soirée Good night (when saying goodbye)
  • Bonne nuit — Good night (when you’re about to sleep)
  • Au revoir — Goodbye

Important French Verbs

running up a mountain

Aside from the conversational words and phrases above, you’ve also got to know the absolute most common French verbs:

  • Être to be
  • Avoir to have
  • Aller to go

These verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the same rules of usage (or conjugation) that so-called regular verbs do.

Most French verbs are regular, meaning you only have to learn the endings of their group.

In French, there are three groups of so-called regular verbs, denoted by their infinitive (unconjugated) endings: -er verbs, -ir verbs and -re verbs.

Here are the most common verbs in each group:

-Er Verbs

  • Parler — to speak
  • Aimer — to like
  • Chanter — to sing
  • Danser to dance
  • Fermer — to close
  • Demander — to ask
  • Étudier — to study
  • Regarder — to watch
  • Visiter — to visit (a place)
  • Habiter — to live
  • Jouer — to play
  • Laver — to wash
  • Penser — to think
  • Utiliser — to use
  • Trouver — to find
  • Manger to eat

-Ir Verbs

  • Finir — to finish
  • Bâtir — to build
  • Choisir — to choose
  • Remplir to fill
  • Grandir — to grow
  • Grossir — to gain weight
  • Obéir — to obey
  • Punir — to punish
  • Réfléchir — to reflect
  • Réussir — to succeed / pass (a test)

-Re Verbs

  • Vendre — to sell
  • Attendre — to wait
  • Détendre — to relax
  • Entendre to hear
  • Fondre — to melt
  • Descendre — to go down / descend
  • Pendre — to hang
  • Perdre — to lose
  • Prétendre — to claim
  • Répondre — to respond

With all these different kinds of verbs, it’s handy to have a verb conjugation tool, like the one from Reverso.

Another option is to study these verbs in action with FluentU, which features authentic French videos with interactive subtitles. Click on any French verb or other word used in the video to see its definition, along with grammar notes and examples.

You can then add new words to flashcards and take personalized quizzes to grow your French vocabulary. 

The language learning program is also available on iOS and Android, so you can take your French study with you wherever you go. 

French Question Words

French questions

Looking for directions? Do you want to know the price of something?

Whatever you do on your trip to France, you’re definitely going to need to ask for help or direction at some point.

Here are some common expressions to help you get around:

  • Où ? — Where?
  • Qui ? — Who?
  • Quoi ? — What?
  • Quand ? — When?
  • Comment ? — How?
  • Pourquoi ? — Why?
  • Combien ? — How much? / How many?

Of course, the beauty of learning language is to be able to communicate with native speakers, which means people might also ask you questions!

Key phrases:

  • Comment vous appelez-vous ? — What’s your name?
  •  Je m’appelle… — I’m called…
  • Quel âge avez-vous ? How old are you?
  • J’ai…ans — I’m… years old 
  • Vous venez d’où ? Where are you from?
  • Je suis… I am…

des États-Unis — from the United States

du Royaume-Uni — from the United Kingdom

d’Espagne — from Spain

d’Allemagne — from Germany

du Canada — from Canada

d’Australie — from Australia

Are you from a country that’s not included on this list? Take a look at this map of the world to learn your country’s name.

French Household Words

easy-french-words

It’s crucial to learn the French words that describe the places where we live.

Check out the following common words that denote specific rooms and spaces in our households.

  • La maison  the house
  • La salle  the room
  • La cuisine  the kitchen
  • La salle à manger  the dining room
  • Le bureau  the office
  • Le salon  the living room
  • La chambre  the bedroom
  • La salle de bain the bathroom (may not include a toilet)
  • Les toilettes the bathroom (includes a toilet, sometimes exclusively)
  • Le sous-sol the basement
  • Le grenier attic
  • La porte  the door
  • La fenêtre  the window
  • Le couloir the hall
  • L’escalier the stairs
  • Le mur  the wall
  • Le sol  the floor
  • Le plafond  the ceiling

Common words associated with rooms in the house:

  • Le bureau the desk
  • L’ordinateur the computer
  • L’étagère  the bookshelf
  • Le livre  the book
  • La télévision  the television
  • Le canapé / Le sofa  the couch
  • La chaise the chair
  • La lampe the lamp
  • Le rideau  the curtain
  • Le réfrigérateur  the fridge
  • Le four  the oven
  • La cuisinière  the stove
  • L’évier  the sink
  • La table  the table
  • Le lit  the bed
  • L’oreiller  the pillow
  • La commode  the dresser
  • L’horloge  the clock
  • La baignoire  the bathtub
  • La douche  the shower
  • Les toilettes  the toilet
  • La brosse à dents the toothbrush
  • Le dentifrice  the toothpaste
  • Le tapis  the rug
  • Le miroir  the mirror
  • Le téléphone  the telephone

French Words for Food & Drinks

easy-french-words

Hungry or thirsty? Check out the most common French words for food and drinks.

  • Le restaurant  the restaurant
  • Le café  the cafe / coffee
  • Le thé  the tea
  • Le jus  the juice
  • Le lait  the milk
  • Le vin  the wine
  • La bière  the beer
  • L’eau water
  • Le fruit  the fruit
  • La pomme  the apple
  • La banane the banana
  • L’orange the orange
  • La fraise — the strawberry
  • Le raisin the grape
  • Les légumes the vegetables
  • La salade  the salad
  • La carotte  the carrot
  • La pomme de terre  the potato
  • La tomate  the tomato
  • La laitue  lettuce
  • Le champignon  mushroom
  • La viande meat
  • Le poisson  fish
  • Le poulet chicken
  • Le bœuf  beef
  • Le petit-déjeuner breakfast
  • Le déjeuner lunch
  • Le dîner dinner
  • Le repas the meal
  • Le goûter the snack
  • L’assiette the plate
  • Le couteau the knife
  • La fourchette the fork
  • La cuillère the spoon
  • La tasse the cup

French Words for School or Work

easy-french-words

Headed to a French-speaking region for employment or to study? Then the following words are essential!

  • L’école  the school
  • Le crayon  the pencil
  • Le stylo  the pen
  • Le cahier  the notebook
  • La salle de classe  the classroom
  • La calculatrice  the calculator
  • La matière scolaire  the school subject
  • L’histoire  history
  • La géographie  geography
  • La musique  music
  • Les sciences the sciences
  • Les mathématiques mathematics
  • Le sport  sports
  • Le français French
  • L’anglais English
  • Les notes grades (marks)
  • Le professeur / la professeure  the teacher
  • L’étudiant(e) / L’élève  the student

The following are common words associated with jobs and work:

  • L’entreprise  the company
  • L’emploi  the job
  • Le travail  the work
  • Le dentiste  the dentist
  • L’écrivain  the writer
  • Le médecin  the doctor (medical)
  • Le serveur / la serveuse  the waiter / waitress
  • L’avocat  the lawyer
  • Le caissier / la caissière  the cashier
  • L’ingénieur(e)  the engineer
  • Le mécanicien / la mécanicienne the mechanic
  • Le plombier / la plombière the plumber
  • Le pompier / la pompière  the firefighter
  • Le policier / la policière  — the police officer
  • L’architecte the architect
  • Le travailleur / la travailleuse   the worker
  • Le boulanger / la boulangère  the baker
  • Le boucher / la bouchère  the butcher
  • Le coiffeur / la coiffeuse  the hairdresser

French Words for Making Descriptions

diverse people

The following are common words that can be used to describe yourself, others or inanimate things.

  • Grand(e) — big
  • Petit(e) — small
  • Chaud(e) — hot
  • Froid(e) — cold
  • Intelligent(e) — smart
  • Fâché(e) angry
  • Triste sad
  • Heureux / heureuse happy
  • Drôle funny
  • Jeune  young
  • Vieux / vieille   old
  • Nerveux / nerveuse   nervous
  • Beau / belle  beautiful
  • Facile  easy
  • Difficile hard
  • Effrayé(e) scared
  • Ennuyé(e)  bored
  • Ennuyeux / ennuyeuse  boring
  • Étrange strange
  • Fort(e)  strong
  • Possible  possible
  • Impossible  impossible
  • Sportif / sportive   athletic

Keep in mind that some adjectives change genders depending on the gender of the noun it describes.

In this list, the masculine forms are given first, with the feminine forms being either those with an added -e or the second form of the adjective.

Interested in more adjectives? Check out how to say common colors in French as well!

French Words for Animals & Nature

easy-french-words

The following are common French words that can be used to describe animals or nature.

  • Le chien the dog
  • Le chat the cat
  • Le lapin the rabbit
  • Le lion the lion
  • Le cheval the horse
  • La vache the cow
  • Le requin the shark
  • Le singe the monkey
  • Le cochon the pig
  • L’oiseau the bird
  • La souris the mouse
  • La tortue the turtle
  • Un canard the duck
  • Un crapaud the toad
  • Une grenouille the frog
  • Le soleil the sun
  • La pluie  the rain
  • Le vent the wind
  • La neige the snow
  • Le nuage  the cloud
  • L’éclair  the lightning
  • Le tonnerre  the thunder
  • L’orage the storm
  • La montagne  the mountain
  • La plage  the beach
  • La forêt  the forest
  • La terre soil / the earth
  • La colline  the hill
  • Le lac  the lake
  • L’océan  the ocean
  • La météo the weather forecast
  • Quel temps fait-il ? What’s the weather?
  • Il fait chaud It is hot
  • Il fait froid It is cold

And just like that, you have 250+ words to bring your French to the next level. Practice these words often and watch your French comprehension and production vastly improve!

Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)


Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
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Even if you’re just starting to study French, believe it or not, you’ve already got a pretty extensive vocabulary! 

The reason for this is over 10,000 English words come from French. Many others come from Latin, the language from which French originated.

This means that a significant number of English words have either exact French counterparts or very similar equivalents in French.

That’s something to celebrate!  But, you might be wondering, just how did all of these French words get into English? How many French words are there in English? Let’s take a look at the French influence on the English language, and how it can help you with French vocabulary today!

When were French words borrowed into English?

Bayeux tapestry

In order to understand the way French influenced the English language, you have to know a little bit of history.

In antiquity, Celtic languages were spoken in the British Isles. Then, around 50 CE, most of the territory was invaded by the Romans. “Britannia” became a part of the Roman Empire, and Latin became the language of political and administrative life. 

In the 5th  and 6th centuries CE, Germanic tribes, including the Angles and the Saxons, invaded Britain, bringing their language with them.

But Latin remained a strong presence, since it was the language of the powerful and far-reaching Catholic Church (the Germanic tribes had quickly converted to Catholicism).

All religious services and texts were in Latin. This led to words commonly heard during masses and in religious parables becoming a part of everyday vocabulary. 

Some of the Latin words that began to infiltrate the language of British people at this time include “devil” (Latin: diabolus) and “angel” (Latin: angelus). 

Like its fellow Romance languages, French is a form of Vulgarized (that is, spoken by the people and influenced by previously existing local dialects) Latin. This is one of the reasons why there are so many similar words in French and Latin-influenced English. But it’s not the only reason why – not by far.

The main reason for the large number of French words in English can be chalked up to another invasion: the Norman Invasion of 1066, when William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant in French) staked his claim to the British throne and won it in the Battle of Hastings.

If you’re an art person, rather than a linguistics or history person, this battle may sound familiar – it’s immortalized on the Bayeux Tapestry. 

After William’s accession to the throne, the royal court was made up of Norman (from Normandy) nobility, who spoke French.

Old English and French coexisted, often quite separately, since most people in Britain never had contact with nobility.

But over time, French words began to creep into English.

These were mainly in areas like law, administration, and, unsurprisingly, food. For example, this excellent (and very funny) video about the history of English points out that while words like “pig” and “sheep” have Germanic roots, their food forms– “pork” (porc) and “mutton” (mouton) – come from French.

A few other French words that entered the English language in this era include sovereign (souverain), justice (justice), and counsel (conseil).

As the centuries went by, English continued to evolve, and and became recognized in its own right. It was used in the daily life of the upper classes and clergy, as well as the commoners. Latin did make a comeback, though. During the Renaissance, cultured people spoke it, and later, in the Age of Enlightenment, Latin was used again when classifying scientific discoveries and phenomena. 

Over the course of its tumultuous history, and English has borrowed from and been influenced by many different languages. But French and Latin have had the most influence. French and Latin words make up 58 % of modern English vocabulary today.  On their own, purely French words make up 29% of English. 

It’s generally thought that around 10,000 words have been borrowed into English from French. Of those, according to this source, there are over 1,700 “true cognates” – that is, words that not only look the same or similar, but have exactly the same meaning in both languages. 

Why is the French (and Latin) influence on English important to French learners?

Sure, etymology is fascinating, and sure, what you’ve just read might make for some fun party conversation (well, depending on what kind of parties you go to…). But is all of this really important? After all, even if you can speak English, that doesn’t mean you can speak French.  

But in fact, knowing this tie to French can help you. For one thing, you may have already experienced reading something in French and realizing that you understood more than you’d expected, because some of the words are the same in both languages.  And on an even more helpful scale, since certain lexical features like suffixes can be the same in French and English, you may be able to guess how to say certain French words.

Six suffixes that are the same in French and English

Blonde woman running

Action and other words in -tion often have the same meaning in French and in English.

With that in mind, let’s look at six fairly common suffixes that are the same in both languages. 

Before we do that, though, remember that a suffix is an ending that gives a particular meaning when it’s tacked onto a word. For example, -ly is a suffix in English that indicates a word is an adjective or adverb (examples: lovely, quietly).

Like English, French has many suffixes. A number of these come from Latin. These include:

  • -ation. Examples: nation/la nation ; information/l’information
  • -tion. Examples: acceleration/l’accélération ; attention/attention
  • -ssion. Examples: mission/une mission ; passion/la passion
  • -able. Examples : capable/capable ; table/la table ; adorable/adorable
  • -isme. Examples: Impressionism/l’impressionnisme ; racism/le racisme
  • -if/ive. Examples: furtive/furtif/furtive; creative/créatif/créative

As you can see, not all of these words are identical down to the letter. But knowing that root words in both languages can have these suffixes added to them can be helpful, especially in French conversation. Personally, this rule was one of the things that made speaking French a lot easier for me. If I knew a word in English that had one of these suffixes, there was a good chance that it was the same or similar in French.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll no longer have to memorize vocabulary for words with these endings. After all, there are some that don’t follow the rule. Take “vacation” – in French, it’s les vacances.  Still, these common suffixes are good to keep in mind.

French circumflex words and English

Forest Path in Fall Season

French words with a circumflex like forêt often have a similar English counterpart.

Unlike English, the French language involves a lot of diacritical marks. While most accents in French words are used to indicate things like pronunciation, verb tense, or gender, one of them, the circumflex, is basically just a historical marker.

Most French words that have a circumflex once had an “s” after the accented letter. So, for example, the word château was once chasteau. The word forêt was once forest

That “once” is a time when French words were being borrowed into English, and so, interestingly enough, many French circumflex words have English counterparts that are very similar, with an “s”. You may already know or have guessed the English equivalents of château and forêt, for example – castle and forest.  

(Before we continue, yes, I know château is also “chateau” in English, but that word has a very specific connotation and isn’t used as a general term the way château is in French.) 

As you can see with château/castle, not all French circumflex words have remained exactly the same in the two languages. And in some cases, like être , there’s no similar English word at all. So, while the tie between French circumflex words and English could be helpful to keep in mind in some cases (forêt/forest; hôtel/hotel; hôpital/hospital; théâtre/theatre, etc.), it isn’t a constant.

But for etymology fans like myself, it is a pretty neat tie to history, at the very least.  

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False cognates – and why they exist in the first place

Some English and French words are written the same way or very similarly but have evolved to have very different meanings. 

One of the most notorious of these faux amis is préservatif, which does not mean “preservative” in French, but…condom. Misusing this word is one of the most awkward French mistakes you can make! 

So, the moral here is to still learn your vocabulary. But if you’re in a bind, you have a good chance of being able to find an equivalent French word if it contains one of those six suffixes I mentioned, or is related to a French circumflex word.

You may be wondering why faux amis exist at all, since English borrowed words directly from French and Latin. The answer is, it’s simply because of how language evolves. Even in English itself, certain words have changed meaning over time or have additional connotations than they previously did. A very interesting example of this – in both languages – is the word “gay”.  

“Gay” was borrowed into English from the French gai (joyful, flashy).  Over the 20th century, it came to have an additional meaning in English: homosexual. Today, this is the dominant connotation that comes to mind for most English-speakers. The English “gay” has been borrowed back into French, where it also means “homosexual.” The French word gai(e) still means “happy” in French, although some francophones, including those in Quebec, also use this spelling instead of “gay”.

One of the most important things that etymology can teach us is that words are always evolving. While they’re being spoken and used by human beings, languages are living things. Faux amis aside, that’s pretty cool.

French words that are the same in English

Still, there are many words in English and French that are the same or very similar, both in spelling and meaning. Here’s a list of some of the most common. If you want to go further, at the end of this article, you’ll find a link to an extremely long and thorough alphabetical list. 

French food and dining words that are the same in English

English words in French food

Many English food-related words originally came from French, but a majority of these have changed a bit over the centuries, to be pronounced and written in a more Anglophone way. 

A good example of this are the words derived from the French word and verb dîner, which include dinner, diner, and dinette, as well as the verb “to dine”. 

You’ll notice, first of all, that all of these words are pronounced differently than their French ancestors. You’ll also notice that their meanings have expanded from these two original borrowed words: “dinner” and “to dine” are the counterparts of le dîner and dîner, respectively, but a diner and dinette are types of restaurant.

Interestingly, “dinette” is also a French word, but it’ s a classic example of a faux ami.  In French, une dinette in French is a child’s tea party set or set of plastic food toys.  (It can also mean a light, late evening meal, although I’ve personally never heard it used that way, for what it’s worth.)

This being said, there are other French words related to food and dining whose meaning and spelling have remained more or less the same in French and English. A number of these were borrowed into English in recent centuries, when French cooking became a hallmark of class for Anglophones. 

Here are some of the most common food- and dining -related words that are the same (or extremely similar) in French and English:

  • à la carte : when you want to order individual dishes which are not part of a pre-established sequence of courses.
  • menu
  • apéritif
  • café (a type of restaurant)
  • picnic 
  • salade
  • soupe
  • omelette
  • bon appétit
  • hors d’œuvre
  • vinaigrette
  • restaurant
  • alcool (This word was originally borrowed into French from Arabic, by way of Latin)
  • chef (This means boss in French and not only “cook”.)

British English speakers also often use some common French food words, including: 

  • cornichon
  • gateau
  • courgette
  • aubergine

French fashion and appearance words that are the same or similar in English

Every culture has its trends, fashions, and notions of beauty, but France has an international reputation for expertise in this area. It’s no wonder, then, that so many French words related to fashion and appearance have been borrowed into English. Here’s a list of some of the most common -including one that’s a very recent addition to the English language:

  • prêt-à-porter
  • chic
  • couture
  • silhouette
  • petite
  • faux (usually used to describe synthetic fur (faux fur), as opposed to fur from an animal)
  • sans fard – If you’re a fan of pop culture and celebrity gossip, you’ve probably come across this term in recent years. “Sans fard” (sometimes written “sans fards”) means “without makeup” and describes a photo where a person is wearing no makeup, and may not even be groomed in a glamorous way (for example, unbrushed hair, etc.). Of course, sans fard photos aren’t always truthful – many celebrities have been called out for abusing the term, since they are wearing at least very basic makeup and have their hair done in the shot.

French art and culture words that are the same or similar in English

musée d'Orsay

Here are some French words that you’ll often hear or come across (or use) in English. 

  • Art Nouveau 
  • avant-garde
  • bas-relief
  • film noir
  • matinee (Note that in French, this word is most commonly used as a way to say “morning”.)
  • papier mâché (For many English speakers, this is written slightly differently: papier mache)
  • trompe l’oeil

In addition to artistic movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which keep their French names in English,  many artistic movements are written in a similar way in French and English. One of the main reasons for this is the suffix -ism/-isme.  Here are a few examples:

  • Impressionism/impressionnisme
  • Realism/réalisme
  • Surrealism/surréalisme
  • Cubism/cubisme

You can find many other French words related to culture and the arts, including classical dance-related vocabulary on this excellent and extensive list.  

Other common French words used in English

Some French words we use in English, like repertoire and protégé, don’t have exactly the same meaning in both languages – or at least, not the same primary meaning. For example, répertoire in French is most commonly used to describe a list of phone numbers; protégé means “protected” in French).  But many other French words in English are used the same way in French, more or less. Here are some of them:

  • bourgeois
  • brunette
  • blond(e)
  • adieu
  • au contraire
  • chauffeur
  • chic
  • critique
  • depot
  • déjà vu
  • (eau de) cologne
  • eau de toilette
  • en route
  • entrepreneur
  • fiancé (Note that while in English, this can refer to a man or a woman, in French, a female person someone is engaged to is fiancée, the word’s feminine form.)
  • genre
  • laissez-faire
  • maître d’ (this is used in its complete form, maître d’hôtel, in French)
  • joie de vivre
  • toilette
  • nouveau riche
  • faux pas
  • je ne sais quoi
  • carte blanche
  • voyeur
  • R.S.V.P (Many English-speakers don’t realize this is an abbreviation of Répondez s’il vous plait)
  • souvenir
  • par excellence
  • potpourri
  • Bon voyage (learn more here)
  • cliché (Note that in French, in addition to its most well-known meaning, cliché is another way to say “photo”)
  • au pair
  • femme fatale
  • bouquet
  • boutique
  • coup
  • milieu 
  • ménage à trois
  • bon vivant
  • bon mot
  • coup d’état
  • de rigueur
  • savoir-faire
  • tête à tête
  • Voila (I usually see the word written without an accent in English, but remember that it’s actually written like this in French: Voilà).
  • du jour

These are just the most common French words used in English, but there are many more, especially if you’re watching or reading something featuring educated, possibly pretentious characters – or spending time with them in real life.  You can find a more extensive list of French words and expressions in English here. 

The three kinds of French words in English – and where to find them all

The words on our lists are among the most noticeable French words in English, because they haven’t changed (or haven’t changed much) from their original spellings and meanings. But what about the thousands of other French words that are supposed to make up the English language?

Since most of these words have evolved over the centuries, they may still be very similar to their French ancestors, or quite a bit different. Take, for example, one of my favorite English words, “jaunty”, which evolved in both spelling and meaning from the French word gentil

You can find an alphabetical list of French words in English, including these original borrowings that have evolved away from their French forms, here.  

And of course, don’t forget the English words that have a counterpart in French thanks to Latin. You can see some of those on this list. 

Do you have a favorite French word or expression that’s used in English? Are there any words these lists that surprised you? If so, why not try to use them today?

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