Is large a french word

What does the French word large mean in English?

large adjective. grand, gros, vaste, nombreux, considérable. ample adjective. ample, abondant, généreux.

What is the difference between Grand and Gros?

When translating from English to French, a rule of thumb is that “grand” is used for things that get large by growing taller, and “gros” for things that get large by growing fatter or wider.

What is big in different languages?

In other languages big

• Arabic: كَبِير
• Brazilian Portuguese: grande.
• Chinese: 大的
• Croatian: velik.
• Czech: velký
• Danish: stor.
• Dutch: groot.
• European Spanish: grande.

What is the feminine form of grand?

Variations

number	feminine	masculine
plural	grandes	grands
singular	grande	grand

What is the feminine of intelligent in French?

intelligente intelligentes

What is the feminine of large in French?

The French translation for “large; great (feminine plural)” is grandes.

What is the opposite of gros in French?

Top antonyms for gross (opposite of gross) are gorgeous, you rock and net. Oposite of gros in French.

What is the plural of big in French?

The French translation for “big; fat (feminine plural)” is grosses.

Is L’Ecole feminine or masculine?

The word école is a feminine noun.

What does Ecole mean?

great school

Is it masculine or feminine French?

Nouns with le or un are masculine, and nouns with la or une are feminine. You should always learn nouns together with their articles to be sure of their gender. Learn all about the gender of nouns in French grammar with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the free exercises.

Are tables masculine or feminine French?

a table is feminine, une table.

Why is French gendered?

In French, pronouns, nouns, and adjectives reflect the gender of the object to which they refer. The language has no neutral grammatical gender. And there are many nouns (including those referring to professions) that don’t have feminine versions. So, a male minister is le ministre and a female minister is la ministre.

Why is pizza feminine in French?

Gender in French is etymological. Pizza is feminine because it is in Italian, and also, we “feel” that.

Is ice cream in French feminine?

The gender of glace is feminine. E.g. la glace.

What is French pizza?

More French words for pizza. la pizza noun. pizza.

How do French people say pizza?

Example Sentences They bake a delicious pizza. Je suis en train de ramener une pizza chez moi. I’m bringing home a pizza. Mon père adore les pizzas.

Why do they call it pizza?

How did pizza get its name? Pizza could come from the Greek word “pitta” meaning “pie”, or the Langobardic word “bizzo” meaning “bite”. It was first recorded in a Latin text dated 997 in Italy and entered into an Italian-English dictionary in 1598 as “a small cake or wafer.”

What is a croissant called in French?

kipferl

How do you say a boy is eating an orange in French?

Orange in French is pronounced: “Oránj”.

What is the French word for the boy?

garçon

Are baguettes French?

Baguette faits amusants The French have been making long thin bread since the mid 18th century and before that long and wide loves were made since the time of Louis XiV. Baguette means stick (baton) and became the iconic symbol of French bread and a thread of French culture in the 20th century.

Why is French baguette long?

French bread was developed during the Napoleonic wars. The problem was that the soldiers needed to be able to carry their bread on foot, but backpack space was limited. So the solution was to stick it down their legs, inside the trousers.

Why is baguette so hard?

Baguettes are bigger and airier than other breads But the real reason is actually due to the ingredients (or lack thereof) in baguettes. Bread goes stale when it loses its moisture and, as Our Everyday Life explains, because baguettes have so few ingredients, they dry up much faster.

Why are baguettes eaten in France?

So if you’re stuck for ideas on what to eat, you’re sure to be able to grab a stick of bread. The aim was to ensure that baguette-hungry locals could always get their eager hands on a slender loaf of fresh bread. A long-term bread shortage was one of the factors that led to the famous 1789 French revolution.

What do the French eat baguettes with?

But baguettes are also broken into pieces and eaten with something on top: cheese, charcuterie, or radishes, for example. At breakfast, many French people eat a piece of baguette (as-is or toasted) that’s covered in butter, jam, and/or Nutella. They often dip buttered a baguette into their coffee.

Why is French bread so hard?

The crumb (the inside) can be chewier than that of an American bread, but it’s not really hard. Which is how the French crust came to be more so. Until the seventeenth century, French bakers used a “hard” dough – that is, less hydrated.

Can I eat a whole baguette?

Yes, it is bad for you (everything is in extremes). You will be okay though. Just don’t eat a whole baguette everyday.

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WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:

Principales traductions
Anglais		Français
large adj	(big)	grand adj
	They bought a large house.
	Ils ont acheté une grande maison.
large n	(shirt size)	large nm
	I usually wear a large.
	Je porte en général du large.

Traductions supplémentaires
Anglais		Français
large adj	(comprehensive)	complet, complète adj
	It is a large dictionary, covering thousands of words.
	C’est un dictionnaire complet, qui comprend des milliers de mots.
large adj	(large-scale)	gros, grosse adj
	This is a very large project, which will affect hundreds of people.
	C’est un très gros projet, qui concerne des centaines de personnes.
large adj	(person: big)	grand adj
	Most pro basketball players are very large.
	La plupart des joueurs de basket professionnel sont très grands.
large adj	(person: fat)	gros, grosse adj
		fort adj
	He has put on weight, and is now quite large.
	Il a pris du poids et il est maintenant assez gros.
	Il a pris du poids et il est maintenant assez fort.
large adv	(exaggeratedly)	en faire des tonnes
	He likes to talk large, but I think he exaggerates.
	Il a tendance à en faire des tonnes, mais je crois qu’il exagère.

WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:

Formes composées large
Anglais		Français
ambassador-at-large n	(diplomatic envoy)	ambassadeur itinérant nm
at large adv	(as a whole, in general)	en général loc adv
		dans son ensemble loc adv
	Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the population at large.
at large adj	(escaped) (prisonnier)	en fuite adv
	(animal, prisonnier)	en liberté loc adv
	(animal, prisonnier)	dans la nature loc adv
	(familier : prisonnier)	en cavale loc adv
	The murderer is still at large.
	Le meurtrier est toujours en fuite.
at large, at-large adj	(role: free-ranging)	sans fonction déterminée, sans responsabilité particulière, sans responsabilité spécifique loc adj
Note: A hyphen is used with this meaning only, when the adjective precedes the noun.
	Besides the chair and treasurer, the board also includes five members at large.
	En plus du président et du trésorier, le conseil comprend aussi cinq membres sans fonction déterminée.
by and large adv	(in general, on the whole)	dans l’ensemble loc adv
		globalement adv
		de manière générale loc adv
	Not everything about my job is good, but by and large, I enjoy it.
	Tout n’est pas parfait dans mon travail mais dans l’ensemble, il me plaît.
community at large n	(everyone in area)	ensemble des habitants nm
	The community at large is asking the police to do something about the rising crime rate.
	L’ensemble des habitants demande à la police de faire quelque chose contre la délinquance qui ne cesse d’augmenter.
		tous les riverains, tous les habitants du quartier nmpl
	Tous les riverains demandent à la police de faire quelque chose contre la délinquance qui ne cesse d’augmenter.
extra large, extra-large adj	(clothing: XL, outsize) (vêtement)	extra large, extra-large loc adj
extra large, extra-large adj	(serving of pizza, etc.: big) (nourriture,…)	très grand loc adj
		extra large, extra-large loc adj
half as large as expr	(half the size of)	moitié moins gros que
		deux fois moins gros que
	The skull of this primitive human ancestor was nearly half as large as that of modern humans.
	Le crâne de cet ancêtre primitif des humains était presque moitié moins gros que celui des hommes modernes.
	Le crâne de cet ancêtre primitif des humains était presque deux fois moins gros que celui des hommes modernes.
in large, in the large expr	(from a broad point of view)	dans sa globalité, dans son ensemble loc adv
	If the problem is seen in large, then the solution becomes obvious.
large amount n	(a lot)	grande quantité nf
	I am unable to buy a new house since I have such a large amount of debt.
	Je ne peux pas acheter une maison car j’ai une trop grande quantité de dettes.
large as life, as large as life expr	informal (in person, physically present)	en personne expr
		en chair et en os expr
large crowd n	(big gathering or huddle of people)	grande foule, foule nf
	A large crowd had gathered to watch the street artist.
	Une grande foule s’est attroupée pour voir l’artiste de rue.
		attroupement nm
	Un attroupement s’était formé pour voir l’artiste de rue.
large family n	(family with many children)	famille nombreuse nf
	As the oldest child in a very large family she never wanted kids of her own.
large heart n	figurative (generous nature)	grand cœur nm
	She’s known for helping people in trouble; she has a large heart. The hospital volunteers have large hearts.
	Elle est connue pour aider les gens en difficulté, elle a un grand cœur. // Les bénévoles dans les hôpitaux ont un grand cœur.
large intestine n	(lower part of the gut)	gros intestin nm
	A section of his large intestine was removed in the operation.
large number n	(considerable amount)	grand nombre nm
	All tickets were sold out so a large number of fans had to watch the match on the big screens outside of the stadium.
		nombre élevé nm
large number n	(high numeral)	grand nombre, nombre élevé nm
	It is difficult to multiply large numbers together in your head.
	Il est toujours difficile de multiplier des grands nombres ensemble dans sa tête.
large person n	([sb] fat or ample)	fort, corpulent adj
	He’s a large person and has difficulty finding clothes to fit him.
	C’est quelqu’un de fort, il a du mal à s’habiller.
		personne forte, personne corpulente nf
large scale, large-scale adj	(big, extensive)	à grande échelle loc adj
		de grande envergure loc adj
Note: hyphen used when term is an adj before a noun
	There was a large-scale protest against the Iraq war in Washington, DC.
	Il y a eu une manifestation de grande envergure contre la guerre en Iraq à Washington, DC.
large size n	(big dimensions)	grande taille nf
	The large size of that vehicle makes it difficult to fit into an ordinary parking spot. Because of his large size, it is difficult to find ready-made clothes that fit him.
	La grande taille de ce véhicule le rend difficile à garer dans une place de parking ordinaire. Du fait de sa grande taille, il est difficile de lui trouver des vêtements de prêt-à-porter à sa taille.
large size n	(clothing: plus size, outsize) (vêtements)	grande taille nf
	The jacket is available in large size.
	La veste est disponible en grande taille.
large-size n as adj	(clothing: big) (vêtement)	grande taille loc adj
		XL adj inv
large sum n	(considerable amount of money)	grosse somme nf
	His grandfather died and left him a large sum of money.
	Son grand-père est mort et lui a légué une grosse somme d’argent.
largehearted, large-hearted adj	(generous)	au grand cœur loc adj
largemouth bass, large-mouth bass n	(fish) (poisson)	achigan à grande bouche nm
loom large v expr	(seem threatening, imminent) (problème, sujet)	prédominer, occuper une place importante, être préoccupant loc v
	(problème, sujet)	occuper tous les esprits, être dans tous les esprits loc v
	(danger)	le spectre de [qch] plane (sur [qqn]) expr
	(date, événement)	approcher dangereusement vi + adv
	The students were unable to enjoy their vacation because final exams loomed large.
	Les étudiants n’ont pas pu profiter pleinement de leurs vacances parce que les examens de fin d’année étaient dans tous les esprits.
	Les étudiants n’ont pas pu profiter pleinement de leurs vacances parce que le spectre des examens de fin d’année planait sur eux.
	Les étudiants n’ont pas pu profiter pleinement de leurs vacances parce que les examens de fin d’année approchaient dangereusement.
on a large scale adv	(to a great extent)	à grande échelle
	Stopping climate change will require action on a large scale.
	Arrêter le changement climatique demandera une action à grande échelle.
people at large n	(general public)	grand public nm
	Ce type d’humour n’est pas destiné au grand public.
		citoyen lambda nm
	Les arcanes du droit restent trop souvent inaccessibles au citoyen lambda.
to a large extent adv	(greatly)	dans une large mesure loc adv
	Humans share the DNA of chimpanzees to a large extent.
	Les humains partagent l’ADN des chimpanzés dans une large mesure.

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Large — произношение: аудио и фонетическая транскрипция

large

[laʁʒ]

Christine

[laːʁʒ]

Charles

Charles

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English large, from Old French large, from Latin larga, feminine of largus (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”), of uncertain ultimate origin; see there for more. Mostly displaced Middle English stoor, stour (“large, great”) (from Old English stōr) and muchel (“large, great”) (from Old English myċel).

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɑːd͡ʒ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɑɹd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)dʒ

Adjective[edit]

large (comparative larger, superlative largest)

1. Of considerable or relatively great size or extent.

   Russia is a large country. The fruit-fly has large eyes for its body size. He has a large collection of stamps.

2. (especially clothing, food or drink) That is large (the manufactured size).
3. (obsolete) Abundant; ample.
4. (archaic) Full in statement; diffuse; profuse.
   • 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics

     I might be very large upon the importance and advantages of education.

5. (obsolete) Free; unencumbered.

   • 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC:

     Of burdens all he set the Paynims large.

6. (obsolete) Unrestrained by decorum; said of language.

   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     Some large jests he will make.

7. (nautical) Crossing the line of a ship’s course in a favorable direction; said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.

Synonyms[edit]

• big, huge, giant, gigantic, enormous, stour, great, mickle, largeish
• See also Thesaurus:large

Antonyms[edit]

• small, tiny, minuscule

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

large (countable and uncountable, plural larges)

1. (music, obsolete) An old musical note, equal to two longas, four breves, or eight semibreves.
2. (obsolete) Liberality, generosity.
3. (slang, plural: large) A thousand dollars/pounds.

   Getting a car tricked out like that will cost you 50 large.

   • 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things:

     «We’ll call you anything we want,» Dave said. «You owe us eighty-five large, Ace, and what we’ve got for collateral on that money so far is a shitload of Arm & Hammer baking soda worth about a buck-fifty. We’ll call you Hubert J. Motherfucker if we want to.»
4. (uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.

   Synonym: L

5. (countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

   One small coffee and two larges, please.

6. (countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.

Derived terms[edit]

• at large

Adverb[edit]

large

1. (nautical) Before the wind.

Further reading[edit]

• large in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “large”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams[edit]

• Agler, Alger, Elgar, Ragle, ergal, glare, lager, regal

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French large, from Latin largus, larga, largum (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”). The feminine is inherited, but for the masculine, Latin largum (the masculine and neuter accusative) developed into Old French larc, which was discarded.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /laʁʒ/
• (Paris)
• Homophone: larges
• Hyphenation: large

Adjective[edit]

large (plural larges)

1. wide, broad
2. large
3. generous

Derived terms[edit]

• de long en large
• en long en large
• large d’esprit
• ratisser large

[edit]

• largesse

Noun[edit]

large m (plural larges)

1. open sea

   Synonym: haute mer

2. width

   Synonym: largeur

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• Antillean Creole: laj
• Haitian Creole: laj
• Karipúna Creole French: laj
• Louisiana Creole: laj, larj

Further reading[edit]

• “large”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams[edit]

• Alger, grêla, régal, régla

Latin[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Adverb[edit]

largē (comparative largius, superlative largissimē)

1. munificently, generously, liberally.
2. abundantly, copiously.
3. to a great extent.

Etymology 2[edit]

Adjective[edit]

large

1. vocative masculine singular of largus

References[edit]

• “large”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “large”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French large, from Latin largus (“abundant, plentiful, copious, large, much”).

Adjective[edit]

large m or f

1. (Jersey) wide

Derived terms[edit]

Noun[edit]

large m (plural larges)

1. (Jersey, nautical) open sea, deep sea

   Synonym: plieine mé

Old French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• larc (Roman de Renard, «wide»)

Etymology[edit]

From Latin largus, larga.

Adjective[edit]

large m (oblique and nominative feminine singular large)

1. generous
2. large; big
3. wide (when used to differentiate between height, width and length)

Descendants[edit]

• Middle French: large
  • French: large
    • Antillean Creole: laj
    • Haitian Creole: laj
    • Karipúna Creole French: laj
    • Louisiana Creole: laj, larj
• Norman: large (Guernsey, Jersey)
• → Middle English: large
  • English: large

References[edit]

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (large, supplement)
• large on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

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?

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 5^th  and 6^th 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

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

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 20^th 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

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

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?