orienter [ɔʀjɑ̃te]

position, orient (transitive verb: place in a direction) ●

• Il faut orienter les panneaux solaires vers le sud pour un meilleur rendement. (You need to position the solar panels toward the south for better efficiency.)

guide, direct (transitive verb: provide guidance) ●

• Le conseiller d’orientation oriente les élèves vers des carrières adaptées à leurs talents. (The career adviser guides students toward careers suited to their talents.)

find your bearings (reflexive verb: locate oneself) ●

• Dans cette grande ville, il est difficile de s’orienter sans carte. (In this big city, it’s difficult to find your bearings without a map.)

steer (transitive verb: influence) ●

• Le gouvernement cherche à orienter l’économie vers une croissance durable. (The government seeks to steer the economy toward sustainable growth.)

lean towards, turn towards (reflexive verb: be directed toward) ●

• Les fleurs s’orientent naturellement vers la lumière. (Flowers naturally turn towards the light.)

head towards (reflexive verb: move in a direction, figurative) ●

• L’entreprise s’oriente vers une transformation numérique complète. (The company is heading towards a complete digital transformation.)

find your way (reflexive verb: find professional direction) ●

• Après ses études, il a mis du temps à s’orienter professionnellement. (After his studies, it took him time to find his way professionally.)

reproduire [ʀəpʀɔdɥiʀ]

reproduce, copy, imitate (transitive verb: mimic or copy) ●

• L’artiste reproduit fidèlement les paysages qu’il observe. (The artist faithfully reproduces the landscapes he observes.)

reproduce (transitive verb: copy text or image) ●

• Il est interdit de reproduire ce document sans autorisation écrite. (It is forbidden to reproduce this document without written authorization.)

breed (intransitive verb: procreate) ●

• Les pandas se reproduisent très lentement en captivité. (Pandas breed very slowly in captivity.)

be repeated (reflexive verb: occur again) ●

• Ce type d’incident ne doit plus se reproduire à l’avenir. (This type of incident must not be repeated in the future.)

breed (transitive verb: cause animals to reproduce) ●

• L’éleveur reproduit les chevaux de race depuis vingt ans. (The breeder has been breeding purebred horses for twenty years.)

reproduce (transitive verb: recreate computing error) ●

• Le technicien n’arrive pas à reproduire le bug signalé par l’utilisateur. (The technician cannot reproduce the bug reported by the user.)

paragraphe [paʀagʀaf]

paragraph (noun [m]: text section) ●

• Relisez attentivement le troisième paragraphe de l’article. (Reread the third paragraph of the article carefully.)

radical [ʀadikal]

radical, drastic (adjective: extreme or uncompromising) ●

• Le nouveau directeur a pris des mesures radicales pour réduire les dépenses. (The new director took drastic measures to reduce expenses.)

radical, extreme (adjective: total or complete) ●

• Nous assistons à une transformation radicale des modes de vie. (We are witnessing a radical transformation in lifestyles.)

radical (noun [m/f]: political party member) ●

• Les radicaux ont formé une coalition avec les socialistes. (The radicals formed a coalition with the socialists.)

radical, extreme (adjective: relating to radical political party) ●

• Le parti radical a présenté son programme électoral hier. (The radical party presented its electoral program yesterday.)

stem, root, radical (noun [m]: linguistic root) ●

• Pour conjuguer ce verbe, ajoutez les terminaisons au radical. (To conjugate this verb, add the endings to the stem.)

root (adjective: relating to plant root) ●

• Le système radical de cette plante est très développé. (The root system of this plant is very developed.)

transférer [tʀɑ̃sfeʀe]

transfer, move (transitive verb: change location) ●

• L’employé a été transféré dans une autre succursale. (The employee was transferred to another branch.)

transfer (transitive verb: move money or funds) ●

• Je vais transférer l’argent sur votre compte demain matin. (I will transfer the money to your account tomorrow morning.)

forward, send (transitive verb: computing, email) ●

• Pouvez-vous me transférer le message que vous avez reçu hier ? (Can you forward me the message you received yesterday?)

transfer (transitive verb: telecommunications, phone call) ●

• La réceptionniste a transféré l’appel au service comptabilité. (The receptionist transferred the call to the accounting department.)

transfer (transitive verb: psychology, shift emotions) ●

• Le patient a transféré ses sentiments d’hostilité sur son thérapeute. (The patient transferred his feelings of hostility onto his therapist.)

diffusion [difyzjɔ̃]

diffusion, spread, propagation (noun [f]: spreading or dispersal) ●

• La diffusion de l’information se fait désormais instantanément grâce à Internet. (The spread of information now happens instantly thanks to the Internet.)

broadcasting, broadcast (noun [f]: TV or radio transmission) ●

• La diffusion du match commence à vingt heures ce soir. (The broadcast of the match begins at eight o’clock tonight.)

distribution (noun [f]: commercial distribution) ●

• L’éditeur assure la diffusion de tous ses livres dans les grandes librairies. (The publisher ensures the distribution of all its books in major bookstores.)

circulation (noun [f]: number of copies sold) ●

• Ce magazine a une diffusion hebdomadaire de cent mille exemplaires. (This magazine has a weekly circulation of one hundred thousand copies.)

diffusion, circulation (noun [f]: spread through the body) ●

• Le médecin surveille la diffusion du médicament dans l’organisme. (The doctor monitors the diffusion of the medication in the body.)

spécialement [spesjalmɑ̃]

especially, particularly (adverb: above all) ●

• J’aime tous les fruits, mais spécialement les fraises. (I like all fruits, but especially strawberries.)

specially, especially (adverb: specifically for someone or something) ●

• Ce plat a été préparé spécialement pour vous. (This dish was prepared specially for you.)

croître [kʀwatʀ]

grow, expand (intransitive verb: develop or increase) ●

• La population de cette ville croît rapidement depuis dix ans. (The population of this city has been growing rapidly for ten years.)

grow (intransitive verb: plants growing) ●

• Les arbres croissent plus vite dans les régions humides. (Trees grow faster in humid regions.)

tolérer [tɔleʁe]

tolerate (transitive verb: medical context) ●

• Mon estomac ne tolère plus les aliments épicés depuis ma maladie. (My stomach can’t tolerate spicy foods anymore since my illness.)

put up with (transitive verb phrasal: accept) ●

• Je ne peux plus tolérer son comportement irrespectueux. (I can no longer put up with his disrespectful behavior.)

bear, stand (transitive verb: endure someone) ●

• Elle ne tolère pas les gens qui parlent trop fort. (She can’t stand people who talk too loudly.)

permit, allow (transitive verb: permit something unauthorized) ●

• Les autorités tolèrent parfois le camping sauvage dans cette région. (Authorities sometimes permit wild camping in this region.)

turn a blind eye (verb phrase: idiom) ●

• Le directeur tolère les retards occasionnels de ses employés. (The manager turns a blind eye to his employees’ occasional lateness.)

copie [kɔpi]

copy, duplicate (noun [f]: duplicate) ●

• Garde toujours une copie de tes documents importants. (Always keep a copy of your important documents.)

replica (noun [f]: duplicate) ●

• Cette statue est une simple copie de l’original grec. (This statue is merely a replica of the Greek original.)

sheet (noun [f]: page) ●

• Prenez une copie double pour rédiger votre dissertation. (Take a large sheet to write your essay.)

paper (noun [f]: exam or essay) ●

• L’enseignant a ramassé toutes les copies après deux heures d’examen. (The teacher collected all papers after two hours of examination.)

homework (noun [f]: work done at home) ●

• N’oublie pas de rendre ta copie de mathématiques demain. (Don’t forget to hand in your maths homework tomorrow.)

work, classwork (noun [f]: work done in school) ●

• Les copies des élèves seront notées avant la fin de la semaine. (Students’ work will be marked before the end of the week.)

essay (noun [f]: written assignment) ●

• Sa copie de philosophie était particulièrement bien argumentée. (His philosophy essay was particularly well argued.)

enseigner [ɑ̃sɛɲe]

teach (transitive verb: transmit knowledge) ●

• Ma sœur enseigne les mathématiques dans un lycée parisien. (My sister teaches mathematics in a Parisian high school.)

teach (intransitive verb: be a teacher) ●

• Après ses études, il a décidé d’enseigner plutôt que de travailler en entreprise. (After his studies, he decided to teach rather than work in a company.)

be a teacher (verb phrase: profession) ●

• Mon ambition a toujours été d’enseigner aux jeunes générations. (My ambition has always been to be a teacher to young generations.)

teach (transitive verb: explain, instill) ●

• Les parents doivent enseigner le respect à leurs enfants. (Parents must teach respect to their children.)

teach (transitive verb with infinitive: impart lesson) ●

• L’expérience m’a enseigné à être plus prudent dans mes choix. (Experience has taught me to be more cautious in my choices.)

teach (transitive verb: impart wisdom) ●

• Les difficultés enseignent la persévérance et le courage. (Hardships teach perseverance and courage.)

lecture (intransitive verb: at university) ●

• Il préfère enseigner à l’université plutôt qu’au collège. (He prefers to lecture at university rather than teach at secondary school.)

rédiger [ʁediʒe]

write (transitive verb: compose text) ●

• L’avocat doit rédiger un contrat avant la signature officielle. (The lawyer must write a contract before the official signing.)

magnifique [maɲifik]

magnificent, splendid, wonderful (adjective: beautiful) ●

• Le coucher de soleil sur la mer était absolument magnifique. (The sunset over the sea was absolutely magnificent.)

sumptuous (adjective: beautiful) ●

• La cérémonie s’est déroulée dans un décor magnifique. (The ceremony took place in sumptuous surroundings.)

magnificent, splendid, outstanding (adjective: high quality) ●

• Ce restaurant propose une cuisine magnifique avec des produits locaux. (This restaurant offers magnificent cuisine with local products.)

magnificent, outstanding, excellent (adjective: remarkable) ●

• L’équipe a réalisé une performance magnifique en finale. (The team delivered a magnificent performance in the final.)

initial [inisjal]

initial (adjective: original) ●

• Le prix initial du produit était beaucoup plus élevé. (The initial price of the product was much higher.)

original (adjective: first) ●

• Nous devons revenir au plan initial car les modifications n’ont pas fonctionné. (We must return to the original plan because the changes didn’t work.)

starting (adjective: beginning) ●

• La position initiale des joueurs est essentielle dans cette stratégie. (The starting position of the players is essential in this strategy.)

indice [ɛ̃dis]

clue (noun [m]: sign indicating something) ●

• Le détective a trouvé un indice important sur la scène du crime. (The detective found an important clue at the crime scene.)

hint, pointer (noun [m]: clue) ●

• Donne-moi au moins un petit indice pour résoudre cette énigme. (Give me at least a small hint to solve this puzzle.)

indication, sign, symptom (noun [m]: indicator) ●

• Son comportement nerveux était un indice de son anxiété. (His nervous behavior was a sign of his anxiety.)

intimation (noun [m]: subtle sign) ●

• Il n’y avait aucun indice de ses véritables intentions. (There was no intimation of his true intentions.)

evidence, piece of evidence (noun [m]: established fact) ●

• Les indices recueillis par la police ont permis d’arrêter le suspect. (The evidence collected by the police led to the suspect’s arrest.)

index number, grade (noun [m]: coefficient) ●

• L’indice de traitement détermine le salaire des fonctionnaires. (The salary scale grade determines civil servants’ salaries.)

grade, salary scale grade (noun [m]: for salaries) ●

• Après sa promotion, son indice salarial a considérablement augmenté. (After his promotion, his salary grade increased considerably.)

subscript (noun [m]: typography or mathematics notation) ●

• Dans la formule chimique, le chiffre doit apparaître en indice. (In the chemical formula, the number must appear in subscript.)

promotion [pʁɔmɔsjɔ̃]

promotion (noun [f]: career advancement) ●

• Après dix ans de service, elle a enfin obtenu une promotion. (After ten years of service, she finally got a promotion.)

promotion (noun [f]: advertising something) ●

• La société lance une grande promotion pour son nouveau produit. (The company is launching a big promotion for its new product.)

special offer (noun [f]: reduced price) ●

• Les fruits sont en promotion cette semaine au supermarché. (Fruits are on special offer this week at the supermarket.)

school year, year group (noun [f]: students in same class) ●

• Toute la promotion de 2015 s’est réunie pour célébrer les dix ans du diplôme. (The entire 2015 school year got together to celebrate ten years since graduation.)

branche [bʁɑ̃ʃ]

branch (noun [f]: tree limb) ●

• Les oiseaux se posent sur les branches les plus hautes de l’arbre. (The birds perch on the highest branches of the tree.)

bough (noun [f]: main branch, formal or literary) ●

• Une branche massive s’est cassée pendant la tempête. (A massive bough broke during the storm.)

branch (noun [f]: subdivision) ●

• Cette banque possède plusieurs branches dans différentes villes. (This bank has several branches in different cities.)

field, area, sector (noun [f]: domain of expertise) ●

• Il est spécialisé dans sa branche et jouit d’une excellente réputation. (He specializes in his field and enjoys an excellent reputation.)

arm (noun [f]: part of eyeglasses) ●

• J’ai perdu une branche de mes lunettes et je ne peux plus les porter. (I lost one arm of my glasses and I can’t wear them anymore.)

bow, temple (noun [f]: eyeglasses part, US terminology) ●

• L’opticien a ajusté les branches pour un meilleur confort. (The optician adjusted the temples for better comfort.)

earpiece (noun [f]: eyeglasses component) ●

• Les branches de ces lunettes sont fabriquées en titane léger. (The earpieces of these glasses are made of lightweight titanium.)

section [sɛksjɔ̃]

section (noun [f]: part) ●

• Cette section du magasin est réservée aux vêtements pour enfants. (This section of the store is reserved for children’s clothing.)

branch (noun [f]: part) ●

• La nouvelle section de la bibliothèque ouvrira le mois prochain. (The new branch of the library will open next month.)

section, stretch (noun [f]: part of road) ●

• Une section dangereuse de la route sera fermée pour réparations. (A dangerous section of the road will be closed for repairs.)

section, department (noun [f]: group of people) ●

• Notre section s’occupe de la comptabilité et des finances. (Our department handles accounting and finances.)

local branch (noun [f]: organizational unit) ●

• La section locale du parti organise une réunion publique demain. (The local branch of the party is organizing a public meeting tomorrow.)

cut, severing (noun [f]: act of cutting) ●

• La section du câble a provoqué une panne d’électricité générale. (The severing of the cable caused a general power outage.)

section, cross-section (noun [f]: diameter or cut) ●

• Le professeur a dessiné la section transversale du tronc d’arbre. (The teacher drew the cross-section of the tree trunk.)

section (noun [f]: military unit) ●

• Le capitaine commande une section d’infanterie de vingt soldats. (The captain commands an infantry section of twenty soldiers.)

chanson

song (noun [f]: text set to music) ●

• Les enfants ont chanté une chanson joyeuse pendant la fête. (The children sang a joyful song during the party.)

ballad (noun [f]: poetry) ●

• La chanson de geste raconte les exploits des héros médiévaux. (The ballad recounts the exploits of medieval heroes.)

pair

even (adjective: number divisible by two) ●

• Dix est un nombre pair, mais sept ne l’est pas. (Ten is an even number, but seven is not.)

even-numbered (adjective: numbered in a divisible-by-two way) ●

• Dans cette ville, les maisons à numéros pairs se trouvent toutes du même côté. (In this town, the even-numbered houses are all on the same side.)

twin (adjective: organs that come in twos) ●

• Les reins sont des organes pairs qui filtrent le sang. (The kidneys are twin organs that filter blood.)

colleague (noun [m]: formal usage) ●

• Le professeur a été soutenu par ses pairs pendant la réforme. (The professor was supported by his colleagues during the reform.)

peer (noun [m]: social dignity) ●

• Les pairs du royaume se réunissent pour conseiller le monarque. (The peers of the realm gather to advise the monarch.)

contraindre

force somebody to do something (transitive verb: oblige someone to do something) ●

• Son patron l’a contraint à travailler le weekend. (Her boss forced her to work on the weekend.)

force yourself to do something (reflexive verb: oblige yourself to do something) ●

• Je me contrains à faire de l’exercice tous les matins. (I force myself to exercise every morning.)

trancher

slice (transitive verb: cut food) ●

• Elle tranche le pain avec un couteau bien aiguisé. (She slices the bread with a sharp knife.)

decide (transitive verb: settle a question or problem) ●

• Le juge a tranché l’affaire après une longue délibération. (The judge decided the case after a long deliberation.)

cut (intransitive verb: sharp object’s ability) ●

• Ce couteau tranche parfaitement grâce à sa lame en acier. (This knife cuts perfectly thanks to its steel blade.)

decide (intransitive verb: make a decision) ●

• Le tribunal a tranché en faveur du demandeur. (The court decided in favor of the plaintiff.)

decide on something (transitive indirect verb: come to a decision) ●

• Il faut trancher sur ce projet avant la fin du mois. (We must decide on this project before the end of the month.)

contrast sharply with something (transitive indirect verb: be in sharp contrast) ●

• Son attitude optimiste tranche avec l’atmosphère sombre de la réunion. (His optimistic attitude contrasts sharply with the gloomy atmosphere of the meeting.)

réformiste

reformist (noun [m/f]: person who supports reforms) ●

• Les réformistes du parti veulent moderniser les institutions. (The reformists in the party want to modernize the institutions.)

retarder

delay (transitive verb: postpone in time) ●

• Nous devons retarder la réunion en raison d’un conflit d’horaires. (We must delay the meeting due to a schedule conflict.)

be slow (intransitive verb: clock or watch running late) ●

• Ma montre retarde de dix minutes, je dois la régler. (My watch is ten minutes slow; I need to set it.)

make somebody late (transitive verb: cause lateness) ●

• L’embouteillage m’a retardé de presque une heure. (The traffic jam made me almost an hour late.)

be behind the times (intransitive verb: informal, be outdated) ●

• Tu retardes complètement si tu penses que personne n’utilise les smartphones ! (You’re completely behind the times if you think nobody uses smartphones!)

réjouir

delight (transitive verb: please or make happy) ●

• Cette nouvelle a réjoui toute la famille. (This news delighted the whole family.)

be happy (reflexive verb: feel happiness) ●

• Nous nous réjouissons de votre succès. (We are happy about your success.)

be pleased about something (reflexive verb: feel happiness about something) ●

• Elle se réjouit de son nouveau poste à l’étranger. (She is pleased about her new position abroad.)

be delighted to do something (verb phrase: feel happiness about doing something) ●

• Je me réjouis de vous rencontrer enfin en personne. (I am delighted to meet you finally in person.)

be delighted that somebody is doing something (verb phrase: feel happiness that someone is doing something) ●

• Nous nous réjouissons que le projet avance si rapidement. (We are delighted that the project is progressing so quickly.)

punir

punish (transitive verb: discipline or chastise) ●

• Les parents ont puni leur fils pour avoir menti. (The parents punished their son for lying.)

punish (transitive verb: legally sanction) ●

• Le code pénal punit sévèrement ce type de fraude. (The criminal code punishes this type of fraud severely.)

punish yourself (reflexive verb: inflict punishment on oneself) ●

• Elle se punit en refusant de manger quand elle se sent coupable. (She punishes herself by refusing to eat when she feels guilty.)

repartir

set off again (intransitive verb: depart again or continue) ●

• Après une courte pause, nous sommes repartis vers notre destination. (After a short break, we set off again toward our destination.)

go (intransitive verb: return somewhere) ●

• Marie est déjà repartie chez elle après la réunion. (Marie has already gone home after the meeting.)

get going again (intransitive verb: function again) ●

• Le moteur a fini par repartir après plusieurs tentatives. (The engine finally got going again after several attempts.)

cellule

cell (noun [f]: biology, basic unit) ●

• Le corps humain contient des milliards de cellules différentes. (The human body contains billions of different cells.)

cell (noun [f]: prison chamber) ●

• Le prisonnier passe vingt-trois heures par jour dans sa cellule. (The prisoner spends twenty-three hours a day in his cell.)

cell (noun [f]: computing, spreadsheet box) ●

• Tu peux modifier le contenu de cette cellule en double-cliquant dessus. (You can modify the content of this cell by double-clicking on it.)

cell (noun [f]: electronic component) ●

• Les cellules solaires transforment la lumière en électricité. (Solar cells convert light into electricity.)

déclencher [deklaʃe]

trigger, spark (transitive verb: activate a mechanism) ●

• Le système de sécurité a déclenché l’alarme automatiquement. (The security system triggered the alarm automatically.)

trigger, spark, cause, start, provoke, set off (transitive verb: cause to happen) ●

• La hausse des prix a déclenché une vague de protestations. (The price increase triggered a wave of protests.)

go off (reflexive verb: activate itself) ●

• L’alarme incendie s’est déclenchée sans raison apparente. (The fire alarm went off for no apparent reason.)

uni [yni]

close, close-knit (adjective: harmonious relationships) ●

• Cette famille unie se retrouve chaque dimanche pour déjeuner. (This close family gets together every Sunday for lunch.)

smooth, even, level (adjective: without bumps) ●

• Il faut une surface unie pour poser le carrelage correctement. (You need a smooth surface to lay the tiles properly.)

plain (adjective: solid color) ●

• Je préfère porter des chemises unies plutôt que des motifs. (I prefer to wear plain shirts rather than patterns.)

connexion [kɔnɛksjɔ̃]

connection (noun [f]: link or network access) ●

• Ma connexion Internet est très lente ce matin. (My Internet connection is very slow this morning.)

écouler [ekule]

flow, run, discharge (reflexive verb: liquid flowing) ●

• L’eau de pluie s’écoule dans les canalisations. (The rainwater flows into the drains.)

pass, flow by, go by, elapse (reflexive verb: time passing) ●

• Trois mois se sont écoulés depuis notre dernière rencontre. (Three months have passed since our last meeting.)

sell, move, clear, sell off (transitive verb: sell goods) ●

• Le magasin a réussi à écouler tout son stock avant Noël. (The store managed to sell all its stock before Christmas.)

sell (reflexive verb: be sold) ●

• Ce nouveau modèle s’écoule très rapidement sur le marché. (This new model sells very quickly on the market.)

get rid of, unload, offload, dispose of (transitive verb: get rid of) ●

• Ils cherchent à écouler des marchandises contrefaites. (They are trying to unload counterfeit goods.)

option [ɔpsjɔ̃]

option, choice, selection (noun [f]: a choice) ●

• Nous avons plusieurs options pour résoudre ce problème. (We have several options to solve this problem.)

option, optional extra (noun [f]: additional feature) ●

• La climatisation est disponible en option sur ce modèle. (Air conditioning is available as an option on this model.)

specialization, specialized subject (noun [f]: academic specialization) ●

• Elle a pris option histoire de l’art en deuxième année. (She took art history as a specialization in her second year.)

pétrole [petʀɔl]

oil, petroleum (noun [m]: mineral oil) ●

• Le prix du pétrole fluctue selon la situation géopolitique. (The price of oil fluctuates according to the geopolitical situation.)

laboratoire [labɔʀatwaʀ]

laboratory, lab (noun [m]: research facility) ●

• Les chercheurs travaillent dans le laboratoire jusqu’à tard le soir. (The researchers work in the laboratory until late in the evening.)

laboratory (noun [m]: research team) ●

• Le laboratoire de biologie a publié une étude importante. (The biology laboratory published an important study.)

laboratory (noun [m]: technical workspace) ●

• Le pâtissier prépare ses créations dans son laboratoire. (The pastry chef prepares his creations in his laboratory.)

étrange [etʀɑ̃ʒ]

strange, odd, peculiar, unusual, bizarre, weird (adjective: unusual or bizarre) ●

• Il y a une odeur étrange dans cette pièce. (There is a strange smell in this room.)

coucher [kuʃe]

put to bed (transitive verb: put someone to bed) ●

• Elle couche toujours ses enfants à vingt heures. (She always puts her children to bed at eight o’clock.)

spend the night, sleep (intransitive verb: stay overnight) ●

• Nous allons coucher chez des amis ce week-end. (We’re going to spend the night at friends’ this weekend.)

sleep (intransitive verb: to sleep) ●

• Les randonneurs ont couché sous la tente. (The hikers slept in a tent.)

go to bed (reflexive verb: go to bed) ●

• Je me couche toujours tôt la veille d’un examen. (I always go to bed early the night before an exam.)

bedtime (noun [m]: action of going to bed) ●

• Le coucher des enfants est toujours un moment difficile. (The children’s bedtime is always a difficult time.)

setting (noun [m]: setting of celestial body) ●

• Le coucher du soleil était spectaculaire hier soir. (The setting of the sun was spectacular last night.)

lay down, lay on its side (transitive verb: place horizontally) ●

• Il faut coucher la planche avant de la découper. (You need to lay the board down before cutting it.)

tip over (reflexive verb: fall over) ●

• Le camion s’est couché sur la route verglacée. (The truck tipped over on the icy road.)

be flattened (reflexive verb: bend down) ●

• Les blés se couchent sous la tempête. (The wheat is being flattened by the storm.)

sleep with (intransitive verb: have sexual relations) ●

• Tout le monde sait qu’ils couchent ensemble depuis des mois. (Everyone knows they’ve been sleeping together for months.)

inscribe (transitive verb: put in writing) ●

• L’officier a couché les faits dans son rapport officiel. (The officer inscribed the facts in his official report.)

coucher, retiring ceremony (noun [m]: ceremonial going to bed) ●

• Le coucher du roi était une cérémonie élaborée à la cour. (The king’s coucher was an elaborate ceremony at court.)

fold, go out, go down, throw in the towel (reflexive verb: give up in sports or games) ●

• Le joueur s’est couché après avoir perdu trois manches d’affilée. (The player folded after losing three rounds in a row.)

département [depaʀtəmɑ̃]

department, French department, département (noun [m]: administrative subdivision) ●

• La France métropolitaine compte quatre-vingt-seize départements. (Metropolitan France has ninety-six departments.)

department (noun [m]: government organization) ●

• Il travaille au département de l’éducation nationale. (He works at the Department of National Education.)

local government, county council (noun [m]: departmental administration) ●

• Le département finance la construction de nouveaux collèges. (The local government finances the construction of new secondary schools.)

department (noun [m]: service or division) ●

• Notre département compte quinze employés. (Our department has fifteen employees.)

génie [ʒeni]

genius (noun [m]: clever person) ●

• Marie est un génie en mathématiques, elle résout tous les problèmes en quelques secondes. (Marie is a genius in mathematics; she solves all the problems in seconds.)

genie, spirit (noun [m]: magic being) ●

• Dans le conte, un génie apparaît quand on frotte la lampe magique. (In the tale, a genie appears when you rub the magic lamp.)

genius, ingenuity, ingeniousness (noun [m]: distinction) ●

• Le génie de ce logiciel réside dans sa simplicité d’utilisation. (The genius of this software lies in its simplicity of use.)

engineering, engineers (noun [m]: military) ●

• Son frère sert dans le génie et construit des ponts militaires. (His brother serves in the engineers and builds military bridges.)

profession [pʀɔfɛsjɔ̃]

profession, occupation, craft, trade (noun [f]: job) ●

• Quelle est votre profession ? Je suis architecte. (What is your profession? I am an architect.)

declaration, profession, statement (noun [f]: public affirmation) ●

• Le ministre a fait une profession de foi devant l’assemblée. (The minister made a profession of faith before the assembly.)

rumeur [ʀymœʀ]

rumour, rumor, opinion, hearsay (noun [f]: public opinion) ●

• Une rumeur circule selon laquelle le directeur va démissionner. (A rumour is circulating that the director is going to resign.)

rumble, murmur, distant sound (noun [f]: dull noise) ●

• On entendait la rumeur de la circulation depuis notre balcon. (We could hear the rumble of traffic from our balcony.)

mien [mjɛ̃]

mine (possessive pronoun: belonging to me) ●

• Ce livre est le mien, pas le tien. (This book is mine, not yours.)

my family, my folks, my kith and kin, my friends and family, my loved ones (noun [m] pl: my close ones) ●

• Je passerai le réveillon avec les miens cette année. (I’ll spend New Year’s Eve with my family this year.)

drôle [dʀol]

funny (adjective: makes people laugh) ●

• Ce film est vraiment drôle, j’ai ri du début à la fin. (This movie is really funny; I laughed from start to finish.)

odd, weird, strange, funny (adjective: bizarre) ●

• Il y a un bruit drôle qui vient du moteur. (There’s a strange noise coming from the engine.)

strange, odd, weird, funny (adverb: singular impression) ●

• Ça me fait drôle de retourner dans mon ancienne école. (It feels strange to go back to my old school.)

odd, strange (adjective + preposition: singular thing) ●

• Il a une drôle de façon de parler. (He has an odd way of speaking.)

joker, bundle of laughs, fun (noun [m/f]: person who likes to laugh) ●

• Mon cousin est un drôle, il fait toujours rire tout le monde. (My cousin is a joker; he always makes everyone laugh.)

plat [pla]

flat (adjective: horizontal, uniform) ●

• La route est plate sur toute cette région. (The road is flat across this whole region.)

flat (adjective: shallow) ●

• Utilise une assiette plate pour servir le fromage. (Use a flat plate to serve the cheese.)

flat (adjective: thin) ●

• Elle a le ventre plat grâce au sport. (She has a flat stomach thanks to sports.)

flat (adjective: shoes without heels) ●

• Je préfère porter des chaussures plates pour marcher en ville. (I prefer to wear flat shoes for walking in town.)

plate, dish, platter (noun [m]: food receptacle) ●

• Elle a apporté le rôti dans un grand plat en céramique. (She brought the roast in a large ceramic dish.)

course, dish (noun [m]: part of a meal) ●

• Le plat principal sera servi après l’entrée. (The main course will be served after the starter.)

flat (noun [m]: horizontal part of something) ●

• Il a frappé le chien du plat de la main. (He hit the dog with the flat of his hand.)

the flat, flat surface (noun [m]: level surface) ●

• Les cyclistes se reposent quand ils arrivent sur du plat. (Cyclists rest when they reach the flat.)

thin, flat, lifeless (adjective: lacking thickness or consistency) ●

• Mes cheveux sont trop plats, ils manquent de volume. (My hair is too flat; it lacks volume.)

flat-chested (adjective: woman with small chest) ●

• Elle se trouve trop plate et voudrait avoir plus de poitrine. (She thinks she’s too flat-chested and would like to have more bust.)

unimaginative, dull, boring (adjective: uncreative style) ●

• Son discours était plat et n’a intéressé personne. (His speech was dull and interested no one.)

maman [mamɑ̃]

mum, mummy, mom, mommy, mama, mam, mammy (noun [f]: mother) ●

• Ma maman m’a préparé mon plat préféré pour mon anniversaire. (My mom made my favorite dish for my birthday.)

Mum, Mummy, Mom, Mommy, Mama, Mam, Mammy (interjection: affectionate term of address) ●

• Maman, est-ce que tu peux m’aider avec mes devoirs ? (Mom, can you help me with my homework?)

incertitude [ɛ̃sɛʀtityd]

uncertainty, incertitude (noun [f]: state of doubt) ●

• L’incertitude économique inquiète les investisseurs. (Economic uncertainty worries investors.)

uncertainty, doubt (noun [f]: doubt) ●

• Il reste une incertitude quant à la date de la réunion. (There remains some doubt about the date of the meeting.)

célébrer [selebʀe]

celebrate (transitive verb: to mark an occasion) ●

• Nous allons célébrer notre anniversaire de mariage au restaurant. (We are going to celebrate our wedding anniversary at the restaurant.)

celebrate, fete, glorify (transitive verb: to honor, praise) ●

• Le pays célèbre ses héros nationaux chaque année. (The country celebrates its national heroes every year.)

celebrate, perform, preside over, officiate at (transitive verb: to accomplish with solemnity) ●

• Le prêtre a célébré la messe de Pâques devant une foule nombreuse. (The priest performed the Easter mass before a large crowd.)

dignité [diɲite]

dignity, honour, honor (noun [f]: honor) ●

• Elle a conservé sa dignité malgré les épreuves. (She maintained her dignity despite the ordeals.)

position (noun [f]: function, title) ●

• Il a été élevé à la dignité de chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. (He was elevated to the position of knight of the Legion of Honor.)

légitime [le.ʒi.tim]

lawful, legitimate (adjective: legal) ●

• Le contrat de mariage est légitime selon la loi française. (The marriage contract is lawful according to French law.)

legitimate (adjective: children born within marriage) ●

• Les enfants légitimes avaient plus de droits que les enfants naturels. (Legitimate children had more rights than natural children.)

reasonable, logical, warranted (adjective: justifiable), (formal) legitimate (adjective: justifiable) ●

• Ta colère est tout à fait légitime après ce qu’il t’a dit. (Your anger is completely reasonable after what he said to you.)

philosophie [fi.lɔ.zɔ.fi]

philosophy (noun [f]: belief system) ●

• La philosophie de Descartes a influencé toute la pensée occidentale. (Descartes’ philosophy influenced all of Western thought.)

philosophy (noun [f]: study) ●

• Il étudie la philosophie à la Sorbonne depuis trois ans. (He has been studying philosophy at the Sorbonne for three years.)

philosophy (noun [f]: education) ●

• L’examen de philosophie est obligatoire pour le baccalauréat en France. (The philosophy exam is compulsory for the baccalaureate in France.)

equanimity, composure, serenity, dignity (noun [f]: calm resignation) ●

• Elle a accepté l’échec avec philosophie et sans se plaindre. (She accepted the failure with equanimity and without complaining.)

verre [vɛʁ]

glass (noun [m]: transparent material) ●

• La fenêtre est faite de verre épais pour isoler du bruit. (The window is made of thick glass to insulate from noise.)

glass (noun [m]: drinking vessel) ●

• Peux-tu me passer un verre propre pour l’eau, s’il te plaît? (Can you pass me a clean glass for water, please?)

glass, glassful, drink (noun [m]: contents of a glass) ●

• On prend un verre ensemble après le travail? (Shall we have a drink together after work?)

lens (noun [m]: eyeglasses) ●

• J’ai cassé le verre gauche de mes lunettes en tombant. (I broke the left lens of my glasses when I fell.)

glasses, spectacles, eyeglasses (noun [m] pl: uncommon) (formal or dated) spectacles, eyeglasses (noun [m] pl: uncommon) (informal, abbreviation) specs (noun [m] pl: uncommon) ●

• Mon grand-père portait des verres à monture dorée. (My grandfather wore glasses with gold frames.)

spécifique [spe.si.fik]

particular, specific, peculiar (adjective: exclusive) ●

• Chaque région a son vocabulaire spécifique et ses traditions locales. (Each region has its specific vocabulary and local traditions.)

docteur [dɔk.tœʁ]

doctor (noun [m/f]: medical professional) (mainly US, abbreviation) MB, MD (noun [m/f]: medical professional) ●

• Le docteur m’a prescrit des antibiotiques pour mon infection. (The doctor prescribed me antibiotics for my infection.)

doctor (noun [m/f]: doctorate holder) (abbreviation) PhD, DPhil (noun [m/f]: doctorate holder) ●

• Elle est docteur en biologie moléculaire et enseigne à l’université. (She is a doctor in molecular biology and teaches at the university.)

Doctor (interjection: calling a doctor) (informal, abbreviation) Doc (interjection: calling a doctor) ●

• Docteur! J’ai besoin de votre aide immédiatement! (Doctor! I need your help immediately!)

quack (noun [m/f]: slang, pejorative) ●

• Ce charlatan se fait appeler docteur mais il n’a aucun diplôme. (This charlatan calls himself a doctor but has no qualifications.)

hausser [o.se]

raise, increase (transitive verb: prices) put [sth] up (transitive verb: prices) ●

• Le propriétaire a haussé le loyer de cinquante euros par mois. (The landlord raised the rent by fifty euros per month.)

raise, heighten (transitive verb: figurative) (formal) elevate (transitive verb: figurative) ●

• Ne hausse pas la voix avec moi, s’il te plaît! (Don’t raise your voice with me, please!)

fréquence [fʁe.kɑ̃s]

frequency, rate, number (noun [f]: number of occurrences) ●

• La fréquence des accidents sur cette route est alarmante. (The frequency of accidents on this road is alarming.)

frequency, rate (noun [f]: interval) ●

• Quelle est la fréquence des trains pour Paris le samedi? (What is the frequency of trains to Paris on Saturday?)

frequency (noun [f]: radio wavelength) ●

• La station de radio émet sur la fréquence 105.9 FM. (The radio station broadcasts on frequency 105.9 FM.)

urgent [yʁ.ʒɑ̃]

urgent (adjective: cannot wait) ●

• J’ai un message urgent à vous transmettre de la part du directeur. (I have an urgent message to pass on to you from the director.)

trou [tʁu]

hole (noun [m]: opening) ●

• Il y a un trou dans mon pantalon que je dois réparer. (There is a hole in my pants that I need to repair.)

hole, gap (noun [m]: memory lapse) ●

• J’ai eu un trou de mémoire pendant l’examen et je n’ai pas pu répondre. (I had a memory lapse during the exam and couldn’t answer.)

hole, dent (noun [m]: figurative lack) ●

• Ces réparations vont faire un trou dans mon budget mensuel. (These repairs will make a hole in my monthly budget.)

hole (noun [m]: golf cavity) ●

• Il a réussi à mettre la balle dans le trou en deux coups. (He managed to get the ball in the hole in two shots.)

hole, dump (noun [m]: informal, pejorative isolated place) ●

• Je ne veux plus vivre dans ce petit trou perdu à la campagne. (I don’t want to live in this little backwater dump in the countryside anymore.)

prison, jail (noun [m]: informal detention) (slang, UK) nick (noun [m]: informal detention) (slang, US) stir (noun [m]: informal detention) (slang) clink, slammer (noun [m]: informal detention) ●

• Après son vol, il a passé deux ans au trou. (After his theft, he spent two years in prison.)

grave (noun [m]: informal tomb) ●

• À son âge et avec sa maladie, il a un pied dans le trou. (At his age and with his illness, he has one foot in the grave.)

stratégique [stʁa.te.ʒik]

strategic, strategical (adjective: predetermined purpose) ●

• Le gouvernement a pris une décision stratégique pour l’avenir du pays. (The government made a strategic decision for the country’s future.)

strategic (adjective: Military, relating to defense) ●

• Les forces armées ont établi une base stratégique près de la frontière. (The armed forces established a strategic base near the border.)

mental [mɑ̃.tal]

mental (adjective: related to the mind or psyche) ●

• Les exercices de méditation peuvent améliorer la santé mentale. (Meditation exercises can improve mental health.)

mental, cerebral (adjective: related to internalized activity) ●

• Elle peut faire des calculs mentaux très rapidement. (She can do mental calculations very quickly.)

mindset, mental state, state of mind, mind (noun [m]: mental strength) ●

• Pour gagner ce match, il faut avoir un mental solide. (To win this match, you need to have a strong mindset.)

éditeur [e.di.tœʁ]

publisher (noun [m/f]: person who publishes) ●

• Mon éditeur a accepté de publier mon premier roman. (My publisher agreed to publish my first novel.)

editor (noun [m/f]: person who makes comments on a work) ●

• L’éditeur a suggéré plusieurs améliorations pour le manuscrit. (The editor suggested several improvements for the manuscript.)

editor, text-editor (noun [m]: computing program for modification) ●

• J’utilise un éditeur de texte pour écrire mes documents. (I use a text editor to write my documents.)

publisher, software publisher (noun [m]: computing company creating software) ●

• Cet éditeur développe des logiciels pour l’industrie médicale. (This publisher develops software for the medical industry.)

publishing (adjective: that publishes) ●

• La maison éditrice a fêté son centième anniversaire. (The publishing house celebrated its hundredth anniversary.)

provincial [pʁɔ.vɛ̃.sjal]

provincial, in the provinces (adjective: relating to the provinces) ●

• La vie provinciale est plus calme que la vie parisienne. (Provincial life is calmer than Parisian life.)

provincial (noun [m/f]: inhabitant of the provinces) ●

• Les provinciaux viennent parfois passer le week-end à Paris. (Provincials sometimes come to spend the weekend in Paris.)

casser [ka.se]

break, break open, crack, shatter (transitive verb: to break) ●

• Attention, tu vas casser le vase si tu continues à jouer avec ! (Careful, you’re going to break the vase if you keep playing with it!)

break, snap, snap off (intransitive verb: to break, to snap) ●

• La corde a cassé sous le poids. (The rope broke under the weight.)

break, smash (reflexive verb: to break) ●

• Le miroir s’est cassé quand il est tombé. (The mirror broke when it fell.)

break, fracture (reflexive verb: to fracture) ●

• Elle s’est cassé le poignet en faisant du skateboard. (She broke her wrist while skateboarding.)

rip out, knock through (transitive verb: to demolish) ●

• Nous allons casser ce mur pour agrandir la pièce. (We’re going to knock through this wall to enlarge the room.)

break (transitive verb: figurative, to break off) ●

• L’entreprise a cassé le contrat avec ses fournisseurs. (The company broke the contract with its suppliers.)

split up, break up (intransitive verb: informal, couple separating) ●

• Ils ont cassé après trois ans de relation. (They split up after three years together.)

demote (transitive verb: to demote) ●

• Le colonel a été cassé pour insubordination. (The colonel was demoted for insubordination.)

get on someone’s case, hack off, offend, hurt, dis, diss (transitive verb: slang, to offend or vex) ●

• Tu me casses avec tes critiques constantes ! (You’re getting on my case with your constant criticism!)

be off, take off, leave, go, be out of here, piss off (reflexive verb: slang, to leave) ●

• J’en ai marre, je me casse ! (I’ve had enough, I’m out of here!)

probable [pʁɔ.babl]

probable, likely (adjective: likely to happen) ●

• Il est probable qu’il pleuvra demain selon les prévisions météo. (It is probable that it will rain tomorrow according to the weather forecast.)

signature [si.ɲa.tyʁ]

signature (noun [f]: personal handwritten seal) ●

• Veuillez apposer votre signature au bas du document. (Please put your signature at the bottom of the document.)

signature (noun [f]: artist’s mark) ●

• Cette peinture porte la signature de Monet. (This painting bears Monet’s signature.)

hallmark, characteristic, feature (noun [f]: figurative, distinctive mark) ●

• L’élégance est la signature de cette marque de luxe. (Elegance is the hallmark of this luxury brand.)

signing, book signing (noun [f]: public dedication) ●

• L’auteur organise une signature à la librairie samedi prochain. (The author is organizing a book signing at the bookstore next Saturday.)

personality, top name (noun [f]: figurative, notable person) ●

• Le magazine a invité plusieurs grandes signatures du journalisme français. (The magazine invited several top names in French journalism.)

forcément [fɔʁ.se.mɑ̃]

bound to, likely to, sure to, surely, certainly, inevitably, necessarily (adverb: obligatorily, inevitably) ●

• Si tu étudies régulièrement, tu réussiras forcément tes examens. (If you study regularly, you are bound to pass your exams.)

conformément [kɔ̃.fɔʁ.me.mɑ̃]

in compliance with, in accordance with, in conformity with (prepositional phrase: following a procedure) ●

• Le projet a été réalisé conformément aux normes de sécurité. (The project was carried out in compliance with safety standards.)

croiser [kʁwa.ze]

cross, fold (transitive verb: to place in a cross) ●

• Il a croisé les bras en signe de désaccord. (He crossed his arms as a sign of disagreement.)

meet coming the other way, pass (transitive verb: to see coming in the opposite direction) ●

• J’ai croisé plusieurs voitures sur la route de montagne. (I passed several cars on the mountain road.)

bump into, run into, see (transitive verb: to meet by chance) ●

• J’ai croisé mon ancien professeur au supermarché hier. (I bumped into my old teacher at the supermarket yesterday.)

pass each other (reflexive verb: to go in opposite directions) ●

• Nos voitures se sont croisées sur l’autoroute. (Our cars passed each other on the highway.)

bump into each other, run into each other, meet (reflexive verb: to encounter each other) ●

• Nous nous sommes croisés devant le cinéma. (We bumped into each other in front of the cinema.)

see, pass, cross paths with (transitive verb: to catch sight of) ●

• Nous avons croisé quelques célébrités lors du festival. (We crossed paths with some celebrities at the festival.)

cross (transitive verb: letters sent at the same time) ●

• Nos emails ont dû se croiser, car nous avons répondu en même temps. (Our emails must have crossed, because we both replied at the same time.)

cross (reflexive verb: letters sent simultaneously) ●

• Nos lettres se sont croisées dans le courrier. (Our letters crossed in the mail.)

cross, cross-breed, interbreed (transitive verb: biology, to create a hybrid) ●

• Le botaniste croise différentes variétés de roses pour créer de nouvelles espèces. (The botanist crosses different varieties of roses to create new species.)

cruise (intransitive verb: nautical, to navigate) ●

• Le navire de guerre croise dans les eaux internationales. (The warship is cruising in international waters.)

cross-check (transitive verb: to cross-reference information) ●

• Il faut croiser les témoignages pour vérifier les faits. (We need to cross-check the testimonies to verify the facts.)

plastique [plas.tik]

plastic (noun [m]: synthetic material) ●

• Ces bouteilles sont fabriquées en plastique recyclable. (These bottles are made from recyclable plastic.)

plastic, cosmetic (adjective: aesthetic, surgery-related) ●

• Elle a subi une opération de chirurgie plastique après l’accident. (She underwent plastic surgery after the accident.)

plastic bag, polythene bag (noun [m]: informal, bag or pouch) ●

• N’oublie pas de prendre un plastique pour les courses. (Don’t forget to bring a plastic bag for shopping.)

plastic (adjective: relating to forms and volumes) ●

• Les élèves suivent des cours d’arts plastiques tous les jeudis. (Students take plastic arts classes every Thursday.)

physique, figure (noun [f]: beautiful physical form) ●

• Cette actrice est reconnue pour sa plastique exceptionnelle. (This actress is known for her exceptional physique.)

autonome [ɔ.tɔ.nɔm]

independent (adjective: having own laws) ●

• Cette région autonome gère son propre budget depuis dix ans. (This autonomous region has managed its own budget for ten years.)

independent (adjective: person who is self-sufficient) ●

• Ma fille est devenue complètement autonome depuis qu’elle a son appartement. (My daughter has become completely independent since she got her own apartment.)

autonomous (adjective: self-managing) ●

• Le syndicat fonctionne de manière autonome sans intervention extérieure. (The union operates autonomously without external intervention.)

self-driving (adjective: vehicle without driver) ●

• Les voitures autonomes révolutionneront le transport urbain. (Self-driving cars will revolutionize urban transport.)

autonomous (adjective: computer not connected to network) ●

• Pour des raisons de sécurité, ce serveur reste autonome. (For security reasons, this server remains autonomous.)

héritage [e.ʁi.taʒ]

inheritance (noun [m]: material transmission) ●

• Elle a reçu un important héritage de ses grands-parents. (She received a large inheritance from her grandparents.)

heritage (noun [m]: common patrimony) ●

• La langue française fait partie de notre héritage culturel. (The French language is part of our cultural heritage.)

inheritance (noun [m]: computing, transmission of properties) ●

• En programmation orientée objet, l’héritage permet de réutiliser du code. (In object-oriented programming, inheritance allows code reuse.)

voyager [vwa.ja.ʒe]

travel (intransitive verb: move to distant places) ●

• J’adore voyager en Europe pendant l’été. (I love to travel in Europe during the summer.)

travel (intransitive verb: person making a journey) ●

• Nous voyageons toujours en train pour éviter le stress. (We always travel by train to avoid stress.)

be transported (intransitive verb: goods being moved) ●

• Ces produits fragiles voyagent dans des caisses spéciales. (These fragile products are transported in special crates.)

électronique [e.lɛk.tʁɔ.nik]

electronic (adjective: relating to electronics) ●

• Les appareils électroniques consomment de moins en moins d’énergie. (Electronic devices consume less and less energy.)

parallèle [pa.ʁa.lɛl]

parallel (adjective: line with no common points) ●

• Ces deux lignes sont parfaitement parallèles. (These two lines are perfectly parallel.)

parallel with (adjective + preposition: having no points in common with) ●

• Ma rue est parallèle à l’avenue principale. (My street is parallel to the main avenue.)

parallel (adjective: similar) ●

• Nos carrières ont suivi des trajectoires parallèles. (Our careers followed parallel trajectories.)

parallel (noun [f]: straight line with no common point) ●

• Tracez deux parallèles à égale distance. (Draw two parallel lines at equal distance.)

parallel (noun [m]: circle parallel to equator) ●

• Paris se trouve près du 49e parallèle nord. (Paris is located near the 49th parallel north.)

comparison (noun [m]: comparison between things) ●

• On peut faire un parallèle entre ces deux situations. (We can draw a parallel between these two situations.)

unofficial (adjective: not official, on the margins) ●

• Il existe un marché parallèle de devises dans ce pays. (There is an unofficial currency market in this country.)

répartir [ʁe.paʁ.tiʁ]

divide (transitive verb: share out) ●

• Il faut répartir les tâches entre tous les membres de l’équipe. (We need to divide the tasks among all team members.)

distribute (transitive verb: place regularly) ●

• Le directeur a réparti les bureaux dans tout le bâtiment. (The director distributed the offices throughout the building.)

split (transitive verb: classify) ●

• On va répartir les élèves en trois groupes selon leur niveau. (We will split the students into three groups according to their level.)

spread (transitive verb: spread out over area) ●

• Répartissez la peinture uniformément sur toute la surface. (Spread the paint evenly over the entire surface.)

share out (reflexive verb: divide among ourselves) ●

• Les enfants se sont réparti les bonbons équitablement. (The children shared out the candy fairly.)

be shared (reflexive verb: be divided or distributed) ●

• Les responsabilités se répartissent entre le maire et ses adjoints. (Responsibilities are shared between the mayor and his deputies.)

divide yourselves up (reflexive verb: position yourselves) ●

• Les joueurs se sont répartis sur tout le terrain. (The players divided themselves up across the whole field.)

courageux [ku.ʁa.ʒø]

brave (adjective: showing courage) ●

• Les pompiers ont été très courageux pendant l’incendie. (The firefighters were very brave during the fire.)

brave (adjective: energetic) ●

• Il est courageux de travailler autant d’heures par semaine. (It’s brave to work so many hours per week.)

réveiller [ʁe.vɛ.je]

wake up (transitive verb: rouse from sleep) ●

• Je dois réveiller les enfants à sept heures tous les matins. (I have to wake the children up at seven every morning.)

wake up (reflexive verb: stop sleeping) ●

• Je me réveille naturellement sans réveil maintenant. (I wake up naturally without an alarm now.)

reawaken (transitive verb: figurative, arouse again) ●

• Cette musique réveille en moi des souvenirs d’enfance. (This music reawakens childhood memories in me.)

come back (reflexive verb: reappear) ●

• Mon ancienne blessure au genou se réveille quand il fait froid. (My old knee injury comes back when it’s cold.)

wake up (reflexive verb: figurative, emerge from torpor) ●

• Il faut te réveiller et agir avant qu’il soit trop tard. (You need to wake up and act before it’s too late.)

satellite [sa.tɛ.lit]

satellite (noun [m]: natural celestial body in orbit) ●

• Jupiter possède plus de soixante-dix satellites naturels. (Jupiter has more than seventy natural satellites.)

satellite (noun [m]: artificial orbiting spacecraft) ●

• Ce satellite météorologique surveille les tempêtes depuis l’espace. (This weather satellite monitors storms from space.)

satellite (noun [m]: annex building) ●

• Votre porte d’embarquement se trouve dans le satellite ouest. (Your boarding gate is located in the west satellite.)

satellite (noun [m]: country under control) ●

• Plusieurs pays d’Europe de l’Est étaient des satellites soviétiques. (Several Eastern European countries were Soviet satellites.)

satellite TV (noun [m]: television by satellite) ●

• Avec le satellite, on peut recevoir des chaînes du monde entier. (With satellite TV, you can receive channels from around the world.)

satellite (adjective: more or less dependent) ●

• Cette ville satellite dépend économiquement de la métropole. (This satellite town is economically dependent on the metropolis.)

satellite (adjective: by satellite) ●

• Nous utilisons une connexion satellite dans les régions isolées. (We use a satellite connection in remote areas.)

ordinateur [ɔʁ.di.na.tœʁ]

computer (noun [m]: electronic algorithmic machine) ●

• J’ai acheté un nouvel ordinateur pour mon travail à domicile. (I bought a new computer for my work from home.)

fondé

justified, well-founded (adjective: having valid basis) ●

• Ses craintes étaient fondées sur des preuves solides. (His fears were founded on solid evidence.)

blessé [blɛse]

injured person, wounded person (noun [m/f]: someone who has suffered physical harm) ●

• Les blessés ont été transportés à l’hôpital le plus proche. (The injured were transported to the nearest hospital.)

injured, wounded, hurt (adjective: having suffered physical harm) ●

• Le cycliste blessé ne pouvait plus continuer la course. (The injured cyclist could no longer continue the race.)

hurt, upset (adjective: emotionally offended) ●

• Elle était blessée par les remarques de son collègue. (She was hurt by her colleague’s remarks.)

municipal [myni.si.pal]

local, town, city, public, municipal (adjective: relating to a city or town) ●

• La bibliothèque municipale est ouverte tous les jours sauf le dimanche. (The municipal library is open every day except Sunday.)

salut [sa.ly]

hi, hey (interjection: informal greeting) ●

• Salut tout le monde ! Comment ça va aujourd’hui ? (Hi everyone! How are you today?)

bye, goodbye, cheers (interjection: informal farewell) ●

• Bon, je dois partir maintenant. Salut ! (Well, I have to leave now. Bye!)

wave, nod (noun [m]: gesture of politeness) ●

• Il m’a adressé un salut amical depuis l’autre côté de la rue. (He gave me a friendly wave from across the street.)

salute (noun [m]: mark of respect) ●

• Les soldats ont rendu le salut au général qui passait. (The soldiers gave a salute to the general passing by.)

safety (noun [m]: rescue from a dangerous situation) ●

• Le gouvernement a adopté des mesures de salut public. (The government adopted public safety measures.)

salvation (noun [m]: religious saving of the soul) ●

• Le prêtre parlait du salut éternel dans son sermon. (The priest spoke of eternal salvation in his sermon.)

songer [sɔ̃.ʒe]

think of (transitive verb: have in mind) ●

• Je songe souvent à nos vacances en Bretagne. (I often think of our holidays in Brittany.)

think of doing, consider doing (transitive verb: contemplate or plan) ●

• Nous songeons à déménager dans une maison plus grande. (We are thinking of moving to a larger house.)

daydream, dream (intransitive verb: to be lost in thought) ●

• Elle songe pendant des heures en regardant par la fenêtre. (She daydreams for hours while looking out the window.)

enfance [ɑ̃.fɑ̃s]

childhood (noun [f]: early period of life) ●

• Il a passé son enfance dans un petit village de montagne. (He spent his childhood in a small mountain village.)

children (noun [f]: all children collectively) ●

• Cette organisation se consacre à la protection de l’enfance. (This organization is dedicated to the protection of children.)

infancy (noun [f]: beginning stage of something) ●

• Cette technologie en est encore à son enfance. (This technology is still in its infancy.)

là-dessus [la.də.sy]

on it, on there, on that, on this, on here (adverb: on that object) ●

• Ne pose pas tes pieds là-dessus, c’est fragile ! (Don’t put your feet on that, it’s fragile!)

on this, on that, on it (adverb: concerning this matter) ●

• Tu peux compter là-dessus, je te donne ma parole. (You can count on that, I give you my word.)

about it, about that (adverb: on that subject) ●

• Si tu veux en savoir plus, il y a beaucoup d’articles là-dessus. (If you want to know more, there are many articles about it.)

with that (adverb: at that moment, upon which) ●

• Là-dessus, elle se leva et quitta la salle sans un mot. (With that, she stood up and left the room without a word.)

merveilleux [mɛʁ.vɛ.jø]

wonderful, marvellous, splendid, magnificent (adjective: extraordinary) ●

• Nous avons passé une soirée merveilleuse au théâtre. (We had a wonderful evening at the theatre.)

marvellous, marvelous, wonderful, remarkable, extraordinary, wondrous (adjective: having exceptional qualities) ●

• Cet athlète possède une merveilleuse capacité de récupération. (This athlete possesses a marvellous capacity for recovery.)

magic, the supernatural (noun [m]: supernatural phenomena) ●

• Dans les contes de fées, le merveilleux côtoie la réalité. (In fairy tales, magic mingles with reality.)

sien [sjɛ̃]

his, hers (possessive pronoun: belonging to him or her) ●

• Ce livre n’est pas le mien, c’est le sien. (This book is not mine, it’s his.)

his family, her family, his folks, her folks, his family and friends, her family and friends, his loved ones, her loved ones (noun [m] pl: one’s close relatives) ●

• Après des années à l’étranger, il était heureux de retrouver les siens. (After years abroad, he was happy to be reunited with his loved ones.)

his, hers, his own, her own (possessive pronoun: one’s own) ●

• Le roi a fait sienne cette terre conquise. (The king made this conquered land his own.)

of his, of hers (adjective: archaic form meaning belonging to him or her) ●

• Il demeure chez une sienne cousine. (He is staying at the house of a cousin of his.)

commenter [kɔ.mɑ̃.te]

comment on, commentate, commentate on, give a commentary on, pass comment on (transitive verb: give an opinion on) ●

• Le présentateur commente les résultats de l’élection en direct. (The presenter is commenting on the election results live.)

use comments in, add comments to (transitive verb: explain code with comments) ●

• Il est important de bien commenter son code pour faciliter la maintenance. (It is important to add comments to your code to facilitate maintenance.)

comment out (transitive verb: deactivate code with comment markers) ●

• Le développeur a commenté ces lignes pour tester une autre solution. (The developer commented out these lines to test another solution.)

inciter [ɛ̃.si.te]

encourage [sb] to do [sth] (verb phrase: basic encouragement) ●

• Les professeurs incitent les élèves à lire davantage pendant les vacances. (The teachers encourage the students to read more during the holidays.)

persuade [sb] to do [sth] (verb phrase: convincing someone) ●

• Le gouvernement cherche à inciter les entreprises à embaucher plus de jeunes. (The government seeks to persuade businesses to hire more young people.)

talk [sb] into doing [sth] (verb phrase: informal persuasion) ●

• Ses amis l’ont incité à participer au concours de talents. (His friends talked him into entering the talent competition.)

spur [sb] to do [sth] (verb phrase: figurative motivation) ●

• La crise économique incite les citoyens à manifester dans les rues. (The economic crisis spurs citizens to demonstrate in the streets.)

incite [sb] to do [sth] (verb phrase: stronger or negative action) ●

• Le discours radical risque d’inciter certains groupes à la violence. (The radical speech risks inciting certain groups to violence.)

prière [pʁi.jɛʁ]

prayer (noun [f]: religious request to deity) ●

• Elle récite une prière chaque matin avant le petit déjeuner. (She recites a prayer every morning before breakfast.)

prayer (noun [f]: religious text) ●

• Le prêtre a lu une prière ancienne pendant la cérémonie. (The priest read an ancient prayer during the ceremony.)

please do [sth] (adverb: formal request or instruction) ●

• Prière de respecter le silence dans la bibliothèque. (Please respect silence in the library.)

nécessiter [ne.se.si.te]

require (transitive verb: basic need) ●

• Ce projet nécessite beaucoup de temps et d’énergie. (This project requires a lot of time and energy.)

need (transitive verb: essential requirement) ●

• La réparation de la voiture nécessite des pièces spéciales. (The car repair needs special parts.)

call for [sth] (transitive verb: demanding something) ●

• La situation actuelle nécessite une intervention rapide des autorités. (The current situation calls for swift action from the authorities.)

necessitate (transitive verb: formal usage) ●

• L’augmentation des coûts nécessite une révision complète du budget. (The increase in costs necessitates a complete revision of the budget.)

urbain [yʁ.bɛ̃]

urban (adjective: relating to cities) ●

• Les transports urbains sont très développés dans cette métropole. (Urban transport is very well developed in this metropolis.)

city (noun as adjective: pertaining to the city) ●

• La vie urbaine offre plus d’opportunités professionnelles que la campagne. (City life offers more professional opportunities than the countryside.)

urbane (adjective: polite and refined manner) ●

• Ce diplomate urbain sait charmer tous ses interlocuteurs. (This urbane diplomat knows how to charm all his interlocutors.)

musée [my.ze]

museum (noun [m]: institution displaying history and art) ●

• Nous avons visité le musée d’histoire naturelle pendant notre séjour à Paris. (We visited the natural history museum during our stay in Paris.)

art gallery (noun [m]: institution displaying art only) ●

• Le musée des beaux-arts expose une magnifique collection de tableaux impressionnistes. (The art gallery displays a magnificent collection of impressionist paintings.)

pluie [plɥi]

rain (noun [f]: water falling from sky) ●

• La pluie a enfin cessé après trois jours de mauvais temps. (The rain finally stopped after three days of bad weather.)

a shower of [sth] (noun [f]: figurative abundance of objects) ●

• Les supporters ont lancé une pluie de confettis sur les champions. (The supporters threw a shower of confetti on the champions.)

a stream of [sth] (noun [f]: figurative outpouring of intangibles) ●

• Le patron a déversé une pluie de reproches sur l’équipe. (The boss delivered a stream of reproaches to the team.)

précaution [pʁe.ko.sjɔ̃]

precaution (noun [f]: preventive measure) ●

• Il faut prendre des précautions sanitaires avant de voyager en zone tropicale. (You must take health precautions before traveling to tropical areas.)

measure (noun [f]: protective action) ●

• Le gouvernement a annoncé de nouvelles précautions contre la propagation du virus. (The government announced new measures against the spread of the virus.)

prudence (noun [f]: careful behavior) ●

• La précaution est nécessaire lorsqu’on manipule des substances chimiques. (Prudence is necessary when handling chemical substances.)

caution (noun [f]: careful approach) ●

• Les alpinistes ont agi avec précaution en raison du brouillard épais. (The mountaineers acted with caution due to the thick fog.)

care (noun [f]: attentiveness) ●

• Ce vieux manuscrit doit être transporté avec une extrême précaution. (This old manuscript must be transported with extreme care.)

anticiper [ɑ̃.ti.si.pe]

anticipate (transitive verb: predict or foresee) ●

• Un bon gestionnaire doit anticiper les besoins futurs de l’entreprise. (A good manager must anticipate the future needs of the company.)

predict (transitive verb: forecast outcome) ●

• Il est impossible d’anticiper toutes les difficultés d’un projet complexe. (It is impossible to predict all the difficulties of a complex project.)

foresee (transitive verb: see in advance) ●

• Nous devons anticiper les conséquences de cette décision importante. (We must foresee the consequences of this important decision.)

pre-empt (transitive verb: act before something happens) ●

• L’entreprise a anticipé les critiques en publiant un rapport transparent. (The company pre-empted the criticism by publishing a transparent report.)

cheval [ʃə.val]

horse (noun [m]: equine animal) ●

• Le fermier possède trois chevaux dans son écurie. (The farmer owns three horses in his stable.)

horseback riding (noun [m]: the activity of riding) ●

• Ma fille fait du cheval tous les mercredis après-midi. (My daughter does horseback riding every Wednesday afternoon.)

horse (noun [m]: horsemeat as food) ●

• En France, certaines boucheries vendent du cheval. (In France, some butcher shops sell horse.)

horsepower (noun [m]: unit of mechanical power) ●

• Cette voiture sportive développe plus de 300 chevaux. (This sports car produces more than 300 horsepower.)

communiqué [kɔ.my.ni.ke]

report (noun [m]: official information) ●

• Le ministère a publié un communiqué concernant les nouvelles mesures sanitaires. (The ministry published a report concerning the new health measures.)

release (noun [m]: public statement) ●

• L’entreprise a diffusé un communiqué pour rassurer ses actionnaires. (The company issued a release to reassure its shareholders.)

communiqué (noun [m]: formal official announcement) ●

• Le sommet diplomatique s’est terminé par un communiqué conjoint des deux pays. (The diplomatic summit ended with a joint communiqué from both countries.)

suicide [sɥisid]

suicide (noun [m]: act of taking one’s own life) ●

• Le taux de suicide a diminué grâce aux nouvelles mesures de prévention. (The suicide rate has decreased thanks to new prevention measures.)

suicide (noun as adj: whose perpetrator kills themselves) ●

• Les forces de sécurité ont déjoué un attentat suicide. (The security forces thwarted a suicide attack.)

rivière [ʁivjɛʁ]

river, tributary (noun [f]: waterway) ●

• Nous avons pique-niqué au bord de la rivière. (We had a picnic by the river.)

river, trail (noun [f]: flow, streak) ●

• Une rivière de sang coulait dans la rue après l’accident. (A river of blood ran in the street after the accident.)

avertir [avɛʁtiʁ]

tell sb of sth, inform sb of sth, tell sb about sth, advise sb of sth, warn sb of sth, alert sb to sth (transitive verb: to notify, inform) ●

• Je vais avertir mes parents de mon retard. (I will inform my parents of my delay.)

warn sb that, let sb know that, inform sb that, advise sb that (transitive verb: to warn, inform) ●

• Il faut avertir les passagers que le vol est retardé. (We must inform the passengers that the flight is delayed.)

rédaction [ʁedaksjɔ̃]

writing (noun [f]: act of writing a text) ●

• La rédaction du rapport m’a pris toute la journée. (Writing the report took me all day.)

essay, composition (noun [f]: written production) ●

• Les élèves doivent écrire une rédaction sur leurs vacances. (The students must write an essay about their vacation.)

editorial board (noun [f]: group of editors) ●

• La rédaction du journal a décidé de publier l’article en première page. (The newspaper’s editorial board decided to publish the article on the front page.)

enceinte [ɑ̃sɛ̃t]

pregnant, expecting (adjective: awaiting a baby) ●

• Ma sœur est enceinte de son premier enfant. (My sister is pregnant with her first child.)

speaker (noun [f]: loudspeaker) ●

• J’ai acheté de nouvelles enceintes pour mon système audio. (I bought new speakers for my audio system.)

wall, outer wall, surrounding wall, city wall (noun [f]: fortification wall) ●

• L’enceinte médiévale protégeait la ville des invasions. (The medieval wall protected the city from invasions.)

enclosure (noun [f]: interior of surrounding walls) ●

• Les visiteurs doivent rester dans l’enceinte du parc. (Visitors must stay within the enclosure of the park.)

inside, interior, confines (noun [f]: interior space of something) ●

• Dans l’enceinte du stade, il est interdit de fumer. (Inside the stadium, smoking is prohibited.)

be pregnant, be expecting, be with child (verb phrase: to await a child) ●

• Elle est enceinte depuis trois mois. (She has been pregnant for three months.)

be pregnant with sb, be expecting sb (verb phrase: to await a child) ●

• Marie est enceinte de son troisième enfant. (Marie is pregnant with her third child.)

be + weeks/months pregnant (verb phrase: to await a child for a duration) ●

• Elle est enceinte de six mois et se porte bien. (She is six months pregnant and doing well.)

substance [sypstɑ̃s]

substance, material (noun [f]: matter) ●

• Cette substance chimique est dangereuse pour la santé. (This chemical substance is dangerous for health.)

essence, nub (noun [f]: what is essential) ●

• Il faut comprendre la substance de son argumentation. (We must understand the essence of his argument.)

essence, substance (noun [f]: summary) ●

• Voici, en substance, ce qu’il a dit lors de la réunion. (Here, in essence, is what he said at the meeting.)

essence (noun [f]: what exists in itself) ●

• Les philosophes débattent de la substance des choses. (Philosophers debate the essence of things.)

soigner [swaɲe]

treat (transitive verb: to treat a disease) ●

• Ce médicament soigne efficacement la grippe. (This medicine treats the flu effectively.)

treat, care for, look after, tend to (transitive verb: to treat a patient medically) ●

• L’infirmière soigne les blessés avec beaucoup de compassion. (The nurse treats the injured with great compassion.)

look after sb, take care of sb (transitive verb: to take good care of someone) ●

• Elle soigne toujours bien ses invités. (She always takes good care of her guests.)

take care of sth, pay attention to sth, be careful over sth, take care over sth, be attentive to sth (transitive verb: to be attentive to something) ●

• Tu dois soigner ton orthographe dans tes lettres de motivation. (You must pay attention to your spelling in your cover letters.)

be treated (reflexive verb: disease being treated) ●

• Cette maladie se soigne facilement avec des antibiotiques. (This illness is easily treated with antibiotics.)

treat yourself, self-treat, take care of yourself (reflexive verb: person applying treatment to oneself) ●

• Il se soigne avec des remèdes naturels. (He treats himself with natural remedies.)

récit [ʁesi]

account, story, tale (noun [m]: report of facts) ●

• Elle nous a fait le récit de son voyage en Asie. (She gave us an account of her trip to Asia.)

story, tale (noun [m]: narration) ●

• J’adore lire les récits de voyages au long cours. (I love reading stories of long voyages.)

revendication [ʁəvɑ̃dikasjɔ̃]

demand, claim (noun [f]: request) ●

• Les syndicats ont présenté leurs revendications salariales. (The unions presented their salary demands.)

claim, statement (noun [f]: claim of ownership) ●

• Sa revendication de propriété n’a pas été acceptée par le tribunal. (His property claim was not accepted by the court.)

incroyable [ɛ̃kʁwajabl]

incredible, unbelievable (adjective: implausible) ●

• Son histoire est tellement incroyable que personne ne la croit. (His story is so unbelievable that nobody believes it.)

incredible, amazing, incredibly, amazingly (adjective: extraordinary, striking) ●

• Ce spectacle était incroyable de beauté. (This show was incredibly beautiful.)

unbelievable, outlandish (adjective: original, uncommon) ●

• Il porte toujours des chapeaux incroyables. (He always wears outlandish hats.)

sondage [sɔ̃daʒ]

survey, opinion poll, poll (noun [m]: questioning of people) ●

• Les résultats du sondage montrent que le candidat est en tête. (The poll results show that the candidate is in the lead.)

sounding, survey (noun [m]: act of probing, exploring) ●

• Un sondage géologique a été effectué avant la construction. (A geological survey was carried out before construction.)

mineur [minœʁ]

minor (adjective: secondary) ●

• C’est un problème mineur qui sera vite résolu. (It’s a minor problem that will be quickly resolved.)

underage, under 18 (adjective: not yet adult) ●

• Les personnes mineures ne peuvent pas acheter d’alcool. (Underage persons cannot buy alcohol.)

minor, under-18 (noun [m/f]: not yet adult) ●

• Ce film est interdit aux mineurs de moins de douze ans. (This film is prohibited for minors under twelve.)

miner, sapper, collier (noun [m]: mine worker) ●

• Les mineurs ont fait grève pour de meilleures conditions de travail. (The miners went on strike for better working conditions.)

minor (adjective: Music, opposed to major) ●

• Cette sonate est écrite en mode mineur. (This sonata is written in a minor key.)

composition [kɔ̃pozisjɔ̃]

composition, configuration (noun [f]: assembly, structure) ●

• La composition de l’équipe a été annoncée hier. (The composition of the team was announced yesterday.)

ingredients, composition (noun [f]: list of ingredients) ●

• Regardez toujours la composition des produits alimentaires. (Always check the ingredients of food products.)

composition, essay (noun [f]: school writing) ●

• Les élèves ont deux heures pour faire leur composition. (The students have two hours to write their composition.)

arrangement (noun [f]: result of assembly) ●

• Cette composition florale est magnifique. (This flower arrangement is magnificent.)

make-up, composition (noun [f]: group of people) ●

• La composition du jury a été contestée. (The make-up of the jury was contested.)

composition, composing (noun [f]: writing of a work) ●

• La composition de cette symphonie a pris plusieurs années. (The composition of this symphony took several years.)

composition (noun [f]: musical work) ●

• Le compositeur a présenté sa dernière composition. (The composer presented his latest composition.)

débarrasser [debaʁase]

clear (transitive verb: to remove from a flat surface) ●

• Peux-tu débarrasser la table s’il te plaît ? (Can you clear the table, please?)

clear (transitive verb: to unblock) ●

• Il faut débarrasser le passage pour laisser passer les gens. (We need to clear the passage to let people through.)

clear the table (intransitive verb: to clean the table after a meal) ●

• C’est à ton tour de débarrasser ce soir. (It’s your turn to clear the table tonight.)

get rid of sth, clear sth out, get shot of sth, rid yourself of sth, be rid of sth (reflexive verb: to separate from something) ●

• Je dois me débarrasser de ces vieux vêtements. (I need to get rid of these old clothes.)

be done with sth, get sth out of the way (reflexive verb: to do something to no longer have to do it) ●

• Je veux me débarrasser de ces tâches avant le week-end. (I want to get these tasks out of the way before the weekend.)

take sb’s coat (transitive verb: to take visitor’s clothing) ●

• Laissez-moi vous débarrasser de votre manteau. (Let me take your coat.)

remove, clear (transitive verb: to repel someone) ●

• La police a débarrassé la place des manifestants. (The police removed the demonstrators from the square.)

accusation [akyzasjɔ̃]

accusation (noun [f]: act of accusing someone of something, reproach) ●

• Il a rejeté toutes les accusations portées contre lui. (He rejected all the accusations brought against him.)

accusation, charge, indictment (noun [f]: Law, attribution of a crime to someone) ●

• L’accusation a été formellement enregistrée par le tribunal. (The charge was formally registered by the court.)

the prosecution (noun [f]: Law, party attacking another) ●

• L’accusation a présenté ses preuves devant le juge. (The prosecution presented its evidence before the judge.)

invitation [ɛ̃vitɑsjɔ̃]

invitation (noun [f]: request to participate) ●

• J’ai reçu une invitation à la soirée de gala organisée par le ministre. (I received an invitation to the gala evening organized by the minister.)

invite (noun [f]: informal request to participate) ●

• Tu as eu ton invitation pour le mariage de Sophie ? (Did you get your invite for Sophie’s wedding?)

invitation to something, call to something (noun [f]: incitement) ●

• Ce discours représente une invitation à la révolte contre l’injustice. (This speech represents an invitation to revolt against injustice.)

présidentiel [pʀezidɑ̃sjɛl]

presidential (adjective: relating to the president) ●

• L’avion présidentiel a atterri sur le tarmac de l’aéroport international. (The presidential plane landed on the international airport tarmac.)

president’s (adjective: belonging to the president) ●

• La limousine présidentielle est escortée par des motards de la police. (The president’s limousine is escorted by police motorcyclists.)

concurrent [kɔ̃kyʀɑ̃]

competitor, contestant (noun [m/f]: sports adversary) ●

• Le concurrent français a terminé la course en troisième position. (The French competitor finished the race in third position.)

contender (noun [m/f]: boxing adversary) ●

• Ce concurrent représente un véritable défi pour le champion en titre. (This contender represents a real challenge for the reigning champion.)

rival (noun [m/f]: professional rival) ●

• Notre principal concurrent a lancé un nouveau produit sur le marché. (Our main rival has launched a new product on the market.)

competition (noun [m/f]: professional rival, uncountable) ●

• Nous devons surveiller les prix pratiqués par les concurrents. (We must monitor the prices charged by the competition.)

competing, rival (adjective: adversarial) ●

• Les entreprises concurrentes se disputent ce marché lucratif. (Competing companies are vying for this lucrative market.)

prévu [pʀevy]

anticipated, expected, foreseen, predicted (adjective: thought in advance) ●

• Les résultats prévus pour ce trimestre sont très encourageants. (The anticipated results for this quarter are very encouraging.)

agreed (adjective: arranged in advance) ●

• Nous nous rencontrerons à l’heure prévue devant la gare. (We will meet at the agreed time in front of the station.)

planned, set (adjective: intended in advance) ●

• Le lancement du produit aura lieu à la date prévue, malgré les difficultés. (The product launch will take place on the planned date, despite the difficulties.)

forecast (adjective: weather prediction) ●

• La pluie prévue pour demain pourrait retarder la construction. (The forecast rain for tomorrow could delay construction.)

suisse [sɥis]

Swiss (adjective: of Swiss nationality) ●

• Le chocolat suisse est réputé dans le monde entier pour sa qualité. (Swiss chocolate is renowned worldwide for its quality.)

Swiss person, Swiss man, Swiss woman (noun [m/f]: inhabitant of Switzerland, singular) ●

• Mon collègue est un Suisse qui travaille à Paris depuis cinq ans. (My colleague is a Swiss man who has been working in Paris for five years.)

the Swiss (noun [m/f]: inhabitants of Switzerland, collectively) ●

• Les Suisses sont connus pour leur neutralité politique. (The Swiss are known for their political neutrality.)

Switzerland (noun [f]: federal state in Europe) ●

• La Suisse possède quatre langues officielles et une longue tradition démocratique. (Switzerland has four official languages and a long democratic tradition.)

Switzer (noun [m]: soldiers, historical) ●

• Les suisses ont été mercenaires pour plusieurs cours royales européennes. (The Switzers were mercenaries for several European royal courts.)

franchement [fʀɑ̃ʃmɑ̃]

frankly, honestly (adverb: sincerely) ●

• Franchement, je pense que cette proposition n’est pas réalisable. (Frankly, I think this proposal is not feasible.)

frankly, downright (adverb: really, truly) ●

• Son comportement est franchement inacceptable dans ce contexte professionnel. (His behavior is downright unacceptable in this professional context.)

indisputably (adverb: really, formal) ●

• Cette décision est franchement mauvaise pour l’économie du pays. (This decision is indisputably bad for the country’s economy.)

plain (adverb: really, informal) ●

• C’est franchement ridicule de continuer ce projet sans budget. (It’s plain ridiculous to continue this project without a budget.)

paiement [pɛmɑ̃]

payment (noun [m]: act of paying) ●

• Le paiement de la facture doit être effectué avant la fin du mois. (Payment of the invoice must be made before the end of the month.)

comparaison [kɔ̃paʀɛzɔ̃]

comparison (noun [f]: relating two things) ●

• La comparaison entre ces deux modèles montre des différences significatives. (The comparison between these two models shows significant differences.)

parallel (noun [f]: relating two things) ●

• On peut faire une comparaison entre cette crise et celle des années trente. (We can draw a parallel between this crisis and that of the nineteen thirties.)

simile (noun [f]: literature term) ●

• Le poète utilise la comparaison pour illustrer la beauté de la nature. (The poet uses simile to illustrate the beauty of nature.)

analogy (noun [f]: stylistic device) ●

• La comparaison sert de figure rhétorique pour clarifier un concept abstrait. (Analogy serves as a rhetorical figure to clarify an abstract concept.)

musulman [myzylmɑ̃]

Muslim, Moslem (adjective: relating to Islam) ●

• Le monde musulman compte plus d’un milliard de fidèles. (The Muslim world has more than a billion followers.)

Muslim, Moslem (noun [m/f]: practitioner of Islam) ●

• Les musulmans observent le ramadan pendant le neuvième mois du calendrier islamique. (Muslims observe Ramadan during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.)

déplacement [deplɑsmɑ̃]

movement, moving (noun [m]: action of moving) ●

• Le déplacement des meubles a pris toute la matinée. (The movement of furniture took the whole morning.)

move (noun [m]: action of moving) ●

• Le déplacement de ce bureau nécessite trois personnes. (Moving this desk requires three people.)

trip (noun [m]: change of location) ●

• Je fais plusieurs déplacements par mois pour rencontrer nos clients. (I make several trips a month to meet our clients.)

business trip (noun [m]: work-related change of location) ●

• Mon prochain déplacement professionnel me conduira à Lyon. (My next business trip will take me to Lyon.)

be away, be away on business (noun [m]: être en déplacement) ●

• Le directeur est en déplacement jusqu’à vendredi prochain. (The director is away on business until next Friday.)

transfer (noun [m]: job change) ●

• Le déplacement de l’usine vers une autre région a créé des tensions. (The transfer of the factory to another region has created tensions.)

transfer (noun [m]: change of focus) ●

• Le déplacement du débat sur des questions secondaires permet d’éviter le vrai problème. (The transfer of the debate to secondary issues allows the real problem to be avoided.)

shifting (noun [m]: change of focus) ●

• Le déplacement des priorités politiques reflète les préoccupations actuelles. (The shifting of political priorities reflects current concerns.)

légal

legal, lawful (adjective: conforming to law) ●

• Le contrat est parfaitement légal et respecte toutes les normes. (The contract is perfectly legal and respects all standards.)

dispositif

device, machine, apparatus (noun [m]: mechanical equipment) ●

• Ce dispositif de sécurité arrête automatiquement la machine en cas de danger. (This safety device automatically stops the machine in case of danger.)

package, presence, measures (noun [m]: set of organized measures) ●

• Le gouvernement a mis en place un dispositif d’aide aux petites entreprises. (The government has put in place a package of support for small businesses.)

plan (noun [m]: configuration or organization) ●

• Le dispositif militaire comprend plusieurs unités stratégiques. (The military plan includes several strategic units.)

constitutionnel

constitutional (adjective: relating to the constitution) ●

• Cette réforme constitutionnelle a été approuvée par référendum. (This constitutional reform was approved by referendum.)

constitutional (adjective: in conformity with the constitution) ●

• La cour a déclaré que cette mesure n’était pas constitutionnelle. (The court declared that this measure was not constitutional.)

constitutional (adjective: subject to a constitution) ●

• Un régime constitutionnel garantit les droits des citoyens. (A constitutional regime guarantees citizens’ rights.)

contrainte

pressure, coercion (noun [f]: force or compulsion) ●

• Il a accepté le poste sans aucune contrainte de la part de sa famille. (He accepted the position without any pressure from his family.)

constraint, ties, obligation (noun [f]: duty-imposed obligation) ●

• Les contraintes professionnelles l’empêchent de voyager librement. (Professional constraints prevent him from traveling freely.)

tarder

be late, be slow, take a while, take some time (intransitive verb: to be delayed) ●

• Le train tarde à arriver, nous allons rater notre correspondance. (The train is late arriving; we’re going to miss our connection.)

be late doing something, be slow to do something, take your time doing something (verb phrase: to delay in doing) ●

• Elle tarde toujours à répondre aux courriels urgents. (She’s always slow to respond to urgent emails.)

cannot wait to do something, can’t wait to do something, long to do something, long for something (verb phrase [impersonal, literary]: to be impatient) ●

• Il me tarde de découvrir les résultats de l’examen. (I can’t wait to discover the exam results.)

refaire

redo, do something again (transitive verb: to do again) ●

• Je dois refaire cet exercice parce que j’ai fait trop d’erreurs. (I have to redo this exercise because I made too many mistakes.)

redo, renovate (transitive verb: to repair or restore) ●

• Nous allons refaire la cuisine l’année prochaine. (We’re going to renovate the kitchen next year.)

change (transitive verb [figurative]: to alter someone’s nature) ●

• On ne peut pas le refaire, il est têtu comme une mule. (We can’t change him; he’s stubborn as a mule.)

change (reflexive verb: to change oneself) ●

• Il a essayé de changer, mais on ne se refait pas. (He tried to change, but we never change.)

get back into something, get used to something again, reaccustom yourself to something (reflexive verb phrase: to readapt) ●

• Après six mois à l’étranger, j’ai du mal à me refaire au climat français. (After six months abroad, I’m having trouble getting used to the French climate again.)

build something back up, recover, regain, get something back (reflexive verb phrase: to regain) ●

• Après sa blessure, le sportif essaie de se refaire une condition physique. (After his injury, the athlete is trying to build his fitness back up.)

pleurer

cry, water (intransitive verb: to shed tears) ●

• Le bébé pleure parce qu’il a faim. (The baby is crying because he’s hungry.)

cry, weep (intransitive verb: due to emotion or pain) ●

• Elle a pleuré pendant tout le film tellement c’était triste. (She cried throughout the whole film because it was so sad.)

cry over, weep over, mourn, lament (transitive verb: to grieve or regret) ●

• Toute la famille pleure la disparition de leur grand-mère. (The whole family is mourning the loss of their grandmother.)

make a fuss about doing something, throw a hissy fit to do something, throw a hissy fit over doing something (indirect transitive verb [informal]: to complain to obtain) ●

• Il a pleuré pour avoir le dernier morceau de gâteau. (He made a fuss to get the last piece of cake.)

débattre

discuss, debate (indirect transitive verb: to argue about) ●

• Les députés débattent de la nouvelle loi sur l’environnement. (The deputies are debating the new environmental law.)

wrangle over, haggle over (transitive verb: to negotiate) ●

• Les deux parties débattent le montant de la compensation financière. (The two parties are wrangling over the amount of financial compensation.)

struggle (reflexive verb: to try to free oneself) ●

• Le poisson se débat dans le filet du pêcheur. (The fish is struggling in the fisherman’s net.)

immigration

immigration (noun [f]: arrival of migrants) ●

• L’immigration a enrichi la diversité culturelle du pays. (Immigration has enriched the country’s cultural diversity.)

cancer

cancer, tumour, tumor (noun [m]: malignant growth) ●

• Les médecins ont détecté un cancer du sein à un stade précoce. (The doctors detected breast cancer at an early stage.)

Cancer (noun [m]: star sign) ●

• Ma sœur est Cancer, elle est née début juillet. (My sister is a Cancer; she was born in early July.)

Cancer (noun [m]: constellation) ●

• Le Cancer se situe entre les Gémeaux et le Lion dans le zodiaque. (Cancer is located between Gemini and Leo in the zodiac.)

cancer, plague, scourge, blight (noun [m] [figurative]: insidious evil) ●

• La corruption est un cancer qui ronge toute la société. (Corruption is a cancer eating away at the whole society.)

lâcher [lɑʃe]

let go of [sth] (transitive verb: release something) ●

• L’enfant a dû lâcher le ballon à cause du vent. (The child had to let go of the balloon because of the wind.)

give way (intransitive verb: break, yield) ●

• Le pont a lâché sous le poids des camions. (The bridge gave way under the weight of the trucks.)

drop [sth] (transitive verb: abandon something informally) ●

• Elle a lâché ses études de médecine après deux ans. (She dropped her medical studies after two years.)

let loose on [sb/sth] (transitive verb: release animal) ●

• Le gardien a lâché les chiens sur les cambrioleurs. (The guard let the dogs loose on the burglars.)

let [sth] down (transitive verb: loosen, release) ●

• Elle devrait lâcher ses cheveux pour la fête. (She should let her hair down for the party.)

give up (intransitive verb: abandon, quit informally) ●

• Ne lâche pas maintenant, tu es presque arrivé ! (Don’t give up now, you’re almost there!)

relax (reflexive verb: let yourself go) ●

• Il faut te lâcher un peu et profiter de la vie. (You need to relax a bit and enjoy life.)

cercle [sɛʁkl]

circle (noun [m]: round shape) ●

• Les élèves se sont assis en cercle autour du professeur. (The students sat in a circle around the teacher.)

sphere (noun [m]: domain of activity, figurative) ●

• Il souhaite élargir son cercle d’influence dans le secteur financier. (He wants to enlarge his sphere of influence in the financial sector.)

génétique [ʒenetik]

genetic (adjective: related to genes) ●

• Cette maladie génétique se transmet de génération en génération. (This genetic disease is transmitted from generation to generation.)

genetics (noun [f]: science of heredity) ●

• Il étudie la génétique à l’université pour comprendre l’hérédité. (He is studying genetics at university to understand heredity.)

importation [ɛ̃pɔʁtasjɔ̃]

importation (noun [f]: act of introducing goods) ●

• L’importation de fruits exotiques a augmenté cette année. (The importation of exotic fruits has increased this year.)

import (noun [f]: imported product) ●

• La plupart de nos importations viennent de Chine. (Most of our imports come from China.)

import (noun [f]: data importation in computing) ●

• L’importation des données a pris plusieurs heures. (The import of the data took several hours.)

tonne [tɔn]

metric ton (noun [f]: 1,000 kilos) ●

• L’usine produit trois tonnes de papier par jour. (The factory produces three metric tons of paper per day.)

ton (noun [f]: heavy weight, figurative) ●

• Ce carton pèse une tonne, je ne peux pas le soulever ! (This box weighs a ton, I can’t lift it!)

ton (noun [f]: large quantity, figurative, informal) ●

• J’ai des tonnes de devoirs à finir ce week-end. (I have tons of homework to finish this weekend.)

dieu [djø]

god (noun [m]: divine being) ●

• Les Grecs anciens croyaient en de nombreux dieux. (The ancient Greeks believed in numerous gods.)

God (proper noun [m]: supreme being in Religion) ●

• Les trois religions monothéistes croient en Dieu. (The three monotheistic religions believe in God.)

god (noun [m]: deified thing, figurative) ●

• L’argent est devenu le dieu de notre société moderne. (Money has become the god of our modern society.)

référendum [ʁefeʁɛ̃dɔm]

referendum (noun [m]: vote on a particular question) ●

• Le gouvernement a organisé un référendum sur la réforme constitutionnelle. (The government organized a referendum on constitutional reform.)

perdu [pɛʁdy]

lost (adjective: without orientation) ●

• Les touristes étaient perdus dans le vieux quartier de la ville. (The tourists were lost in the old quarter of the city.)

lost (adjective: that was not won) ●

• Après trois matchs perdus, l’entraîneur a été licencié. (After three lost matches, the coach was fired.)

isolated (adjective: far from everything) ●

• Ils habitent une ferme perdue au milieu de la campagne. (They live on an isolated farm in the middle of the countryside.)

beyond all hope (adjective: without hope, doomed) ●

• Le médecin a dit que le patient était perdu. (The doctor said the patient was beyond all hope.)

unrecyclable (adjective: not recyclable) ●

• Les bouteilles en verre perdu ne sont plus utilisées aujourd’hui. (Bottles made of unrecyclable glass are no longer used today.)

obligé [ɔbliʒe]

have to do [sth] (adjective phrase: having an obligation) ●

• Je suis obligé de prendre le train car ma voiture est en panne. (I have to take the train because my car has broken down.)

necessary (adjective: commanded by necessity) ●

• La vaccination est un passage obligé avant de voyager en Afrique. (Vaccination is a necessary step before traveling to Africa.)

inevitable (adjective: it cannot be otherwise, informal) ●

• Avec ce talent, il va devenir champion, c’est obligé ! (With that talent, he will become champion, it’s inevitable!)

in [sb]’s debt (noun [m/f]: person owing a service to another, formal) ●

• Après votre aide précieuse, je suis votre obligé. (After your invaluable help, I am in your debt.)

visiteur [vizitœʁ]

visitor (noun [m]: person who visits someone) ●

• Le directeur reçoit un visiteur important cet après-midi. (The director is receiving an important visitor this afternoon.)

visitor (noun [m]: tourist, traveler to a place) ●

• Le musée accueille des milliers de visiteurs chaque année. (The museum welcomes thousands of visitors each year.)

visitor (noun [m]: someone who consults a website) ●

• Notre site web a attiré 50 000 visiteurs le mois dernier. (Our website attracted 50,000 visitors last month.)

remporter

win (transitive verb: succeed in a competition) ●

• Notre club a remporté le championnat cette saison. (Our club won the championship this season.)

bring back, bring [sth] back (transitive verb: return something) ●

• Peux-tu remporter ces dossiers au bureau ? (Can you bring these files back to the office?)

rond [ʁɔ̃]

circle (noun [m]: geometric shape) ●

• L’enfant dessine un rond sur la feuille. (The child draws a circle on the paper.)

round (adjective: circular) ●

• La table ronde peut accueillir six personnes. (The round table can seat six people.)

ring (noun [m]: shape resembling a circle) ●

• Il soufflait des ronds de fumée impressionnants. (He was blowing impressive smoke rings.)

round (adjective: body part that is rounded) ●

• Le bébé a des joues rondes et mignonnes. (The baby has round, cute cheeks.)

round (adjective: number that falls evenly) ●

• Le prix rond facilite le calcul. (The round price makes calculation easier.)

plump (adjective: somewhat overweight) ●

• Elle devient un peu ronde avec l’âge. (She’s getting a little plump with age.)

drunk (adjective: intoxicated) ●

• Après trois verres, il était complètement rond. (After three glasses, he was completely drunk.)

étage [etaʒ]

floor (noun [m]: level in a building) ●

• Mon appartement se trouve au troisième étage. (My apartment is on the third floor.)

deck (noun [m]: level in a duplex or train) ●

• Les passagers sont assis à l’étage supérieur du bus. (The passengers are seated on the upper deck of the bus.)

intense

intense (adjective: strong, vivid) ●

• La chaleur intense rendait le travail difficile. (The intense heat made work difficult.)

bébé

baby (noun [m]: newborn child) ●

• Le bébé pleure parce qu’il a faim. (The baby is crying because he’s hungry.)

baby (adjective: young animal) ●

• Les bébés lions jouent ensemble dans le parc. (The baby lions play together in the park.)

baby (noun [m]: immature person) ●

• Arrête de faire le bébé et assume tes responsabilités ! (Stop being such a baby and take responsibility!)

amitié

friendship (noun [f]: cordial bond) ●

• Notre amitié dure depuis l’école primaire. (Our friendship has lasted since primary school.)

goodwill (noun [f]: benevolence) ●

• Il a montré beaucoup d’amitié envers ses nouveaux voisins. (He showed a lot of goodwill towards his new neighbours.)

cinquante [sɛ̃kɑ̃t]

fifty (adjective: five times ten) ●

• Il y a cinquante élèves dans cette classe. (There are fifty students in this class.)

fifty (adjective: fiftieth in a series) ●

• Lisez le chapitre cinquante pour demain. (Read chapter fifty for tomorrow.)

fifty (noun [m]: number) ●

• Ma fille sait écrire les nombres jusqu’à cinquante. (My daughter can write numbers up to fifty.)

fifty (noun [m]: rank) ●

• Elle habite au cinquante de cette rue. (She lives at number fifty on this street.)

zéro

no (adjective: none) ●

• Il a fait zéro erreur dans son exercice de mathématiques. (He made no mistakes in his maths exercise.)

zero (noun [m]: figure) ●

• N’oublie pas d’ajouter deux zéros après le chiffre. (Don’t forget to add two zeros after the number.)

zero (noun [m]: nothing) ●

• Ses chances de réussir sont réduites à zéro. (His chances of success are reduced to zero.)

nil (noun [m]: sports score) ●

• Le match s’est terminé deux à zéro. (The match ended two-nil.)

zero (noun [m]: worst school grade) ●

• L’élève a eu un zéro à son contrôle d’histoire. (The student got a zero on his history test.)

loser (noun [m/f]: worthless person) ●

• Son frère est un vrai zéro, il ne réussit jamais rien. (His brother is a real loser; he never succeeds at anything.)

drame

tragedy (noun [m]: work of literature, opposite of comedy) ●

• Nous avons étudié plusieurs drames de Shakespeare en classe. (We studied several Shakespearean tragedies in class.)

tragedy (noun [m]: tragic event) ●

• L’accident de train fut un véritable drame national. (The train accident was a real national tragedy.)

visible

visible (adjective: can be seen) ●

• La lune est visible ce soir malgré les nuages. (The moon is visible tonight despite the clouds.)

visible (adjective: manifest, evident) ●

• Les progrès de l’élève sont visibles depuis septembre. (The student’s progress has been visible since September.)

decent (adjective: sufficiently dressed, presentable) ●

• Attends deux minutes, je ne suis pas encore visible ! (Wait two minutes, I’m not decent yet!)

haine [ɛn]

hatred, hate (noun [f]: will to destroy) ●

• La haine qu’il éprouvait pour son ancien partenaire était évidente à chaque conversation. (The hatred he felt for his former partner was obvious in every conversation.)

aversion, opposition (noun [f]: strong rejection) ●

• Sa haine des mensonges l’a rendu célèbre pour sa franchise. (His aversion to lies made him famous for his honesty.)

instance [ɛ̃stɑ̃s]

authority, body (noun [f]: authority) ●

• L’instance compétente examinera votre demande dans les prochains jours. (The competent authority will examine your request in the coming days.)

insistence, pleas, insistent pleas, exhortations (noun [f] pl: strong insistence) ●

• Malgré toutes mes instances, il a refusé de changer d’avis. (Despite all my pleas, he refused to change his mind.)

exhortations, entreaties, insistent pleas, insistence (noun [f] pl: insistent requests) ●

• Sur les instances de son médecin, elle a décidé de prendre des vacances. (At the insistence of her doctor, she decided to take a vacation.)

proceedings, jurisdiction, instance (noun [f]: legal procedure) ●

• Cette instance juridique durera probablement plusieurs mois. (These legal proceedings will probably last several months.)

instance (noun [f]: computing occurrence) ●

• Le développeur a créé plusieurs instances de la classe pour tester le code. (The developer created several instances of the class to test the code.)

cérémonie [seʁemɔni]

ceremony, celebration (noun [f]: celebration) ●

• La cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux olympiques a attiré des millions de téléspectateurs. (The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games attracted millions of viewers.)

ceremony, rite, ritual (noun [f]: religious moment) ●

• La cérémonie religieuse aura lieu samedi matin à dix heures. (The religious ceremony will take place Saturday morning at ten o’clock.)

ceremony, formality (noun [f]: formalism) ●

• Toute cette cérémonie pour un simple dîner me semble excessive. (All this ceremony for a simple dinner seems excessive to me.)

ambition [ɑ̃bisjɔ̃]

aim in life (noun [f]: deep desire) ●

• Son ambition est de devenir médecin et de soigner les plus démunis. (Her aim in life is to become a doctor and care for the underprivileged.)

ambition (noun [f]: immoderate desire) ●

• Son ambition démesurée l’a poussé à prendre des décisions risquées. (His immoderate ambition pushed him to make risky decisions.)

recourir [ʁəkuʁiʁ]

use, employ, access, seek, get, have recourse to, resort to (transitive verb: make appeal to) ●

• Nous devons recourir à des experts pour résoudre ce problème technique. (We must use experts to solve this technical problem.)

resort to, turn to (transitive verb: utilize) ●

• Il ne faut recourir à la violence qu’en dernier recours. (You should only resort to violence as a last resort.)

run again (intransitive verb: run again) ●

• Après sa blessure, il était impatient de recourir sur la piste. (After his injury, he was eager to run again on the track.)

sanction [sɑ̃ksjɔ̃]

sanction (noun [f]: punishment) ●

• L’élève a reçu une sanction pour son comportement irrespectueux. (The student received a sanction for his disrespectful behavior.)

inevitable consequence (noun [f]: unavoidable consequence) ●

• L’échec était la sanction de son manque de préparation. (Failure was the inevitable consequence of his lack of preparation.)

géant [ʒeɑ̃]

giant (noun [m/f]: very tall person) ●

• Dans les contes de fées, les géants habitent souvent dans les nuages. (In fairy tales, giants often live in the clouds.)

gigantic, enormous, huge, massive, ginormous, mahoosive (adjective: immense size) ●

• Ils ont construit un stade géant pour accueillir les compétitions internationales. (They built a gigantic stadium to host international competitions.)

giant, heavyweight (noun [m/f]: emblematic person) ●

• Einstein était un géant de la physique moderne. (Einstein was a giant of modern physics.)

awesome, great, super (adjective: incredible) ●

• Ce concert gratuit, c’est vraiment géant ! (This free concert is really awesome!)

jardin [ʒaʁdɛ̃]

garden, yard (noun [m]: cultivable area) ●

• Nous passons nos week-ends à entretenir le jardin et à planter des fleurs. (We spend our weekends maintaining the garden and planting flowers.)

inner sanctum, private world, inner world, personal outlet, secret outlet, secret place, special place, haven, retreat, sanctuary (noun [m]: personal domain) ●

• Ses lectures philosophiques constituent son jardin secret. (His philosophical reading constitutes his private world.)

nourriture [nuʁityʁ]

food, nourishment, feed (noun [f]: food) ●

• Les réfugiés manquent de nourriture et d’eau potable. (The refugees lack food and drinking water.)

feeding (verb [present participle]: action of giving food) ●

• La nourriture des animaux du zoo demande beaucoup de temps et d’organisation. (Feeding the zoo animals requires a lot of time and organization.)

engendrer [ɑ̃ʒɑ̃dʁe]

cause, produce, create, lead to, bring about, engender (transitive verb: generate) ●

• La pauvreté engendre souvent la violence et le désespoir. (Poverty often causes violence and despair.)

conceive, create, produce, engender, beget (transitive verb: procreate) ●

• Selon la Bible, Abraham engendra Isaac dans sa vieillesse. (According to the Bible, Abraham begot Isaac in his old age.)

infrastructure [ɛ̃fʁastʁyktyʁ]

infrastructure (noun [f]: network) ●

• La ville investit massivement dans son infrastructure de transport public. (The city is investing heavily in its public transport infrastructure.)

infrastructure (noun [f]: facilities) ●

• L’entreprise doit moderniser son infrastructure informatique. (The company must modernize its IT infrastructure.)

infrastructure (noun [f]: large-scale construction) ●

• Ce pont est une infrastructure remarquable du XIXe siècle. (This bridge is a remarkable piece of infrastructure from the 19th century.)

frame, framework (noun [f]: structure) ●

• L’infrastructure en acier du bâtiment résiste aux tremblements de terre. (The steel framework of the building resists earthquakes.)

adversaire [advɛʁsɛʁ]

opponent (noun [m/f]: sports or game competitor) ●

• Notre adversaire au football était très fort ce soir. (Our football opponent was very strong tonight.)

opponent (noun [m/f]: someone against an idea) ●

• Elle est une adversaire farouche de cette réforme. (She is a fierce opponent of this reform.)

enemy, adversary (noun [m/f]: foe) ●

• Les deux pays sont devenus adversaires après la guerre. (The two countries became enemies after the war.)

africain [afʁikɛ̃]

African (adjective: concerning Africa) ●

• Nous avons assisté à un concert de musique africaine. (We attended an African music concert.)

African (noun [m/f]: person born in Africa) ●

• Les Africains contribuent à la diversité culturelle de la ville. (Africans contribute to the cultural diversity of the city.)

royal [ʁwajal]

royal (adjective: of the king or kingdom) ●

• La famille royale habite dans ce palais depuis trois siècles. (The royal family has lived in this palace for three centuries.)

majestic, magnificent, fit for a king (adjective: splendid) ●

• Ils nous ont préparé un repas royal pour notre anniversaire. (They prepared a magnificent meal for our anniversary.)

excellent, class, outstanding, awesome (adjective: slang for great) ●

• Cette soirée était royale, j’ai adoré ! (This party was awesome, I loved it!)

mobile [mɔbil]

mobile, movable (adjective: can be moved) ●

• Ces cloisons mobiles permettent de réorganiser l’espace facilement. (These movable partitions make it easy to reorganize the space.)

movable (adjective: variable date) ●

• Pâques est une fête mobile qui change de date chaque année. (Easter is a movable holiday that changes date each year.)

mobile, mobile phone, cell phone (noun [m]: portable telephone) ●

• J’ai oublié mon mobile à la maison ce matin. (I forgot my mobile at home this morning.)

motive, reason, cause (noun [m]: reason or rationale) ●

• La police cherche encore le mobile du crime. (The police are still looking for the motive for the crime.)

mobile (noun [m]: hanging decoration) ●

• Nous avons accroché un mobile coloré au-dessus du lit de bébé. (We hung a colorful mobile above the baby’s bed.)

significatif [siɲifikatif]

indicative, symptomatic, characteristic (adjective: expressive) ●

• Cette hausse des prix est significative d’une crise économique. (This price increase is indicative of an economic crisis.)

circulation [siʁkylasjɔ̃]

traffic (noun [f]: road traffic) ●

• La circulation est dense aux heures de pointe. (Traffic is heavy during rush hours.)

circulation, movement (noun [f]: flow or movement) ●

• La circulation de l’information est essentielle dans une démocratie. (The circulation of information is essential in a democracy.)

circulation (noun [f]: blood circulation) ●

• Elle souffre de problèmes de circulation sanguine. (She suffers from blood circulation problems.)

cotisation [kɔtizasjɔ̃]

subscription, dues, subs (noun [f]: membership contribution) ●

• La cotisation annuelle au club est de cinquante euros. (The annual club subscription is fifty euros.)

collection (noun [f]: money collection) ●

• Nous organisons une cotisation pour offrir un cadeau à notre collègue. (We’re organizing a collection to buy our colleague a present.)

entente [ɑ̃tɑ̃t]

understanding, harmony, agreement (noun [f]: good relationship) ●

• L’entente entre les deux équipes facilite le travail. (The understanding between the two teams makes the work easier.)

cheveu [ʃəvø]

hair, strand of hair (noun [m]: hair on head) ●

• Elle a retrouvé un cheveu dans son assiette. (She found a hair in her plate.)

hair (noun [m] pl: head of hair) ●

• Mes cheveux deviennent blancs avec l’âge. (My hair is turning white with age.)

a hair’s breadth (noun [m]: figurative for very small margin) ●

• Il a évité l’accident d’un cheveu. (He avoided the accident by a hair’s breadth.)

ralentir [ʀalɑ̃tiʀ]

slow, slow down (intransitive verb: go slower) ●

• Le conducteur ralentit en approchant du feu rouge. (The driver slows down approaching the red light.)

slow [sb/sth] down, slow (transitive verb: make slower) ●

• Les embouteillages ralentissent la circulation. (Traffic jams slow down the traffic.)

slow down, drop off (intransitive verb: activity becoming less intense) ●

• Les ventes ralentissent pendant l’hiver. (Sales drop off during winter.)

slow [sth] down (transitive verb: make activity less intense) ●

• Les restrictions ont ralenti la croissance économique. (The restrictions have slowed down economic growth.)

slow down, drop off (reflexive verb: activity becoming less intense) ●

• La production se ralentit durant les périodes de fêtes. (Production slows down during holiday periods.)

cadeau [kado]

present, gift (noun [m]: offering, present) ●

• Elle a reçu un beau cadeau pour son anniversaire. (She received a beautiful present for her birthday.)

free (adjective: complimentary) ●

• Achetez deux articles et le troisième est cadeau. (Buy two items and the third is free.)

a piece of cake, easy-peasy, easy (adjective: very easy) ●

• Cet examen ? C’est cadeau ! (That exam? It’s a piece of cake!)

affirmation [afiʀmasjɔ̃]

statement, assertion (noun [f]: declaration, claim) ●

• Son affirmation était basée sur des preuves solides. (His statement was based on solid evidence.)

assertion (noun [f]: expression of character) ●

• L’affirmation de soi est importante pendant l’adolescence. (Self-assertion is important during adolescence.)

requérir [ʀəkeʀiʀ]

require, need, call for, necessitate (transitive verb: need) ●

• Ce projet requiert beaucoup de temps et d’efforts. (This project requires a lot of time and effort.)

call on, call upon, request, ask for (transitive verb: solicit) ●

• Le directeur a requis l’assistance de plusieurs experts. (The director called upon the assistance of several experts.)

apply for, call for (transitive verb: legal demand) ●

• Le procureur a requis une peine de cinq ans. (The prosecutor called for a five-year sentence.)

destination [dɛstinasjɔ̃]

destination (noun [f]: place one is going to) ●

• Nous arriverons à destination dans deux heures. (We will reach our destination in two hours.)

stabilité [stabilite]

stability (noun [f]: equilibrium, balance) ●

• La stabilité de la structure est garantie par des piliers solides. (The stability of the structure is guaranteed by solid pillars.)

stability (noun [f]: permanence, durability) ●

• La stabilité politique favorise le développement économique. (Political stability promotes economic development.)

level-headedness (noun [f]: psychological stability) ●

• Sa stabilité émotionnelle l’aide à gérer les crises. (His level-headedness helps him manage crises.)

louer [lwe]

rent, let, hire (transitive verb: lend for payment) ●

• Le propriétaire loue son appartement à des touristes. (The owner rents his apartment to tourists.)

rent, hire (transitive verb: pay to use) ●

• Nous allons louer une voiture pour le week-end. (We’re going to rent a car for the weekend.)

rent (reflexive verb: be rented) ●

• Ces bureaux se louent 2000 euros par mois. (These offices rent for 2000 euros per month.)

praise, speak highly of (transitive verb: praise) ●

• Le directeur a loué la qualité de son travail. (The director praised the quality of his work.)

praise, congratulate (transitive verb: congratulate) ●

• On l’a loué pour son courage face au danger. (He was praised for his courage in the face of danger.)

congratulate yourself, be proud of yourself, be pleased with yourself (reflexive verb: congratulate oneself) ●

• Elle se loue d’avoir pris cette décision importante. (She congratulates herself on having made this important decision.)

gars [gɑ(ʀ)]

lad, boy (noun [m]: boy) ●

• C’est un bon gars du quartier. (He’s a good lad from the neighbourhood.)

guy, lad (noun [m]: man, young man) ●

• J’ai rencontré un gars sympa à la fête hier soir. (I met a nice guy at the party last night.)

lad, son, boy (noun [m]: son) ●

• Mon gars vient de finir ses études universitaires. (My lad has just finished his university studies.)

guys, lads, fellas (noun [m] pl: plural vocative) ●

• Allez les gars, on y va ! (Come on guys, let’s go!)

mate, buddy (noun [m]: vocative address) ●

• Fais attention, mon gars, tu vas te faire mal ! (Watch out, mate, you’re going to hurt yourself!)

fleur [flœʀ]

flower, blossom, bloom (noun [f]: bloom on plant or tree) ●

• Les fleurs du jardin embaument l’air au printemps. (The flowers in the garden perfume the air in spring.)

flower (noun [f]: best part) ●

• Ces étudiants représentent la fleur de leur génération. (These students represent the flower of their generation.)

agriculteur [agʀikɥltœʀ]

farmer (noun [m/f]: person who farms) ●

• L’agriculteur cultive du blé et du maïs sur ses terres. (The farmer grows wheat and corn on his land.)

poète [pɔɛt]

poet (noun [m/f]: writer of poetry) ●

• Victor Hugo est considéré comme l’un des plus grands poètes français du XIXe siècle. (Victor Hugo is considered one of the greatest French poets of the 19th century.)

daydreamer, dreamer (noun [m/f]: hopeless romantic) ●

• Martin est un vrai poète, il passe son temps à contempler les nuages au lieu de travailler. (Martin is a real dreamer; he spends his time gazing at clouds instead of working.)

fabrication [fabʁikasjɔ̃]

manufacture (noun [f]: elaboration) ●

• La fabrication de ce produit nécessite des matériaux de haute qualité. (The manufacture of this product requires high-quality materials.)

production (noun [f]: action of creating) ●

• L’usine a cessé la fabrication de ce modèle l’année dernière. (The factory ceased production of this model last year.)

vin [vɛ̃]

wine (noun [m]: fermented grape juice) ●

• Nous avons bu un excellent vin rouge avec le dîner. (We drank an excellent red wine with dinner.)

soudain [sudɛ̃]

suddenly (adverb: without warning) ●

• Soudain, le téléphone a sonné et tout le monde a sursauté. (Suddenly, the phone rang and everyone jumped.)

sudden (adjective: abrupt) ●

• Son départ soudain a surpris tous ses collègues. (His sudden departure surprised all his colleagues.)

balle [bal]

ball (noun [f]: small sports object) ●

• Les enfants jouent avec une balle dans le jardin. (The children are playing with a ball in the garden.)

bullet (noun [f]: projectile) ●

• La balle a traversé la vitre sans la briser complètement. (The bullet went through the window without breaking it completely.)

inflation [ɛ̃flasjɔ̃]

inflation (noun [f]: general price increase) ●

• Le gouvernement tente de maîtriser l’inflation qui atteint 5% cette année. (The government is trying to control inflation which has reached 5% this year.)

inflation, increase (noun [f]: significant growth) ●

• On observe une inflation du nombre de diplômés universitaires ces dernières années. (We’re seeing an increase in the number of university graduates in recent years.)

sec [sɛk]

dry (adjective: not wet) ●

• Attends que la peinture soit bien sèche avant de toucher le mur. (Wait until the paint is completely dry before touching the wall.)

dry (adjective: without humidity) ●

• Il faut conserver ces documents dans un endroit sec. (These documents must be kept in a dry place.)

dry (adjective: climate with little moisture) ●

• Cette région a un climat sec toute l’année. (This region has a dry climate all year round.)

dry (adjective: skin lacking moisture) ●

• J’ai la peau sèche en hiver, je dois utiliser une crème hydratante. (I have dry skin in winter; I need to use a moisturizer.)

curt, sharp (adjective: brusque manner) ●

• Il m’a répondu d’un ton sec qui m’a vexé. (He answered me in a curt tone that offended me.)

dried (adjective: dehydrated fruit) ●

• Elle ajoute toujours des fruits secs dans son muesli. (She always adds dried fruit to her muesli.)

abrupt, sudden (adjective: rapid sound) ●

• Un bruit sec a retenti dans la nuit silencieuse. (An abrupt sound rang out in the silent night.)

neat, straight (adjective: without water added) ●

• Il préfère boire son whisky sec, sans glaçons. (He prefers to drink his whisky neat, without ice.)

arrêté [aʁete]

decree (noun [m]: official order) ●

• Le maire a publié un arrêté interdisant les feux d’artifice. (The mayor issued a decree banning fireworks.)

statement (noun [m]: summary account) ●

• Le service comptable prépare un arrêté de compte à la fin de chaque trimestre. (The accounting department prepares a statement of account at the end of each quarter.)

enfermer [ɑ̃fɛʁme]

shut away, lock up (transitive verb: imprison) ●

• Le fermier enferme ses poules chaque soir pour les protéger des renards. (The farmer locks up his chickens every evening to protect them from foxes.)

shut away (transitive verb: put in a safe place) ●

• Elle enferme ses documents importants dans un coffre-fort. (She shuts away her important documents in a safe.)

keep in (transitive verb: prevent from going out) ●

• Le mauvais temps nous a enfermés tout le week-end. (The bad weather kept us in all weekend.)

abattre [abatʁ]

knock down (transitive verb: cause to fall) ●

• Les ouvriers vont abattre ce vieux mur pour agrandir la pièce. (The workers are going to knock down this old wall to enlarge the room.)

cut down, fell (transitive verb: cut a tree) ●

• Il faudra abattre cet arbre malade avant qu’il ne tombe sur la maison. (We’ll need to cut down this sick tree before it falls on the house.)

slaughter (transitive verb: kill an animal) ●

• Le vétérinaire a dû abattre le cheval blessé. (The veterinarian had to slaughter the injured horse.)

slaughter, shoot down (transitive verb: kill a person) ●

• Les soldats ennemis ont abattu plusieurs civils durant l’attaque. (Enemy soldiers shot down several civilians during the attack.)

knock out, get through (transitive verb: complete a lot of work) ●

• Elle a abattu une énorme quantité de travail en une seule journée. (She knocked out an enormous amount of work in a single day.)

lay down (transitive verb: put cards flat) ●

• Le joueur a abattu ses cartes avec un sourire triomphant. (The player laid down his cards with a triumphant smile.)

shoot down (transitive verb: bring down from the sky) ●

• L’armée a réussi à abattre l’avion ennemi au-dessus de la mer. (The military succeeded in shooting down the enemy plane over the sea.)

paysan [pɛizɑ̃]

farmer, small farmer, smallholder, crofter (noun [m]: person who works in agriculture) ●

• Les paysans ont cultivé cette terre pendant des siècles. (The farmers have cultivated this land for centuries.)

rural, country, countryside (adjective: relating to the countryside) ●

• La culture paysanne disparaît peu à peu dans les régions modernes. (Rural culture is gradually disappearing in modern regions.)

peasant, bumpkin, yokel, rube, redneck (noun [m]: unsophisticated person) ●

• Il parle comme un paysan, sans aucune éducation. (He talks like a peasant, without any education.)

transition [tʁɑ̃zisjɔ̃]

transition, change (noun [f]: process of changing) ●

• La transition vers la démocratie a été difficile pour ce pays. (The transition to democracy was difficult for this country.)

transition, link, connection (noun [f]: way of changing subject) ●

• Il a utilisé une anecdote comme transition entre les deux sujets. (He used an anecdote as a transition between the two subjects.)

transition period, interim period (noun [f]: passage between two situations) ●

• Nous vivons une transition entre l’ancien et le nouveau système. (We are living through a transition period between the old and new systems.)

humanitaire [ymanitɛʁ]

humanitarian (adjective: relating to humanitarian causes) ●

• Les travailleurs humanitaires ont distribué de la nourriture aux réfugiés. (The humanitarian workers distributed food to the refugees.)

répandre [ʁepɑ̃dʁ]

spread, put, scatter, strew (transitive verb: to spread something out) ●

• Le jardinier a répandu des graines sur toute la pelouse. (The gardener spread seeds across the whole lawn.)

spread (reflexive verb: to diffuse, disseminate) ●

• La rumeur s’est répandue rapidement dans tout le village. (The rumor spread quickly throughout the village.)

leave, spread (transitive verb: to cover with something) ●

• L’inondation a répandu de la boue dans toutes les maisons. (The flood left mud in all the houses.)

broadcast, give out (transitive verb: to announce) ●

• Les médias ont répandu la nouvelle de sa victoire partout dans le monde. (The media broadcast the news of his victory around the world.)

spread, leak, publicise, publicize (transitive verb: to declare news) ●

• Quelqu’un a répandu des informations confidentielles à la presse. (Someone leaked confidential information to the press.)

give off, give out, produce (transitive verb: to generate) ●

• Le poêle répand une chaleur agréable dans toute la pièce. (The stove gives off a pleasant heat throughout the room.)

go all over, spread all over (reflexive verb: to flow, spread out) ●

• Le café s’est répandu sur toute la table. (The coffee went all over the table.)

spread (reflexive verb: to gain ground) ●

• L’épidémie s’est répandue dans plusieurs pays voisins. (The epidemic spread to several neighboring countries.)

appear (reflexive verb: to become visible) ●

• La joie s’est répandue sur son visage quand elle a appris la nouvelle. (Joy appeared on her face when she learned the news.)

spread out, invade (reflexive verb: to take over, establish) ●

• Les manifestants se sont répandus dans les rues de la capitale. (The demonstrators spread out through the capital’s streets.)

adoption [adɔpsjɔ̃]

adoption (noun [f]: taking a child as one’s own) ●

• Le couple a commencé les démarches d’adoption il y a deux ans. (The couple started the adoption process two years ago.)

adoption (noun [f]: approval of a law) ●

• L’adoption de cette loi a provoqué de vives discussions au parlement. (The adoption of this law sparked heated discussions in parliament.)

adorer [adɔʁe]

love, like, really like, adore (transitive verb: to love very much) ●

• Les enfants adorent jouer dans le parc après l’école. (The children love playing in the park after school.)

worship, love (transitive verb: to worship God) ●

• Les fidèles adorent Dieu dans ce temple depuis des générations. (The faithful have worshipped God in this temple for generations.)

appartement [apaʁtəmɑ̃]

apartment, flat, condo (noun [m]: residential unit in a building) ●

• Ils ont acheté un appartement de trois pièces au centre-ville. (They bought a three-room apartment in the city center.)

session [sesjɔ̃]

session (noun [f]: meeting or period) ●

• La prochaine session de formation aura lieu le mois prochain. (The next training session will take place next month.)

entamer [ɑ̃tame]

start on, open, begin, start, make a start on (transitive verb: to begin consuming) ●

• Nous allons entamer cette nouvelle bouteille de champagne pour célébrer. (We’re going to open this new bottle of champagne to celebrate.)

start, initiate, open, bring, institute (transitive verb: to begin or start) ●

• L’entreprise a entamé des négociations avec ses concurrents. (The company has started negotiations with its competitors.)

dip into, make a dent in, make a hole in (transitive verb: to diminish, reduce) ●

• Ces vacances ont entamé notre budget annuel de manière significative. (This vacation made a dent in our annual budget significantly.)

cut into, nick (transitive verb: to cut, damage) ●

• Le couteau a entamé la surface du meuble en bois. (The knife nicked the surface of the wooden furniture.)

begin, start, embark upon (transitive verb: to begin spending time) ●

• Elle entame sa troisième année d’études universitaires ce mois-ci. (She is beginning her third year of university studies this month.)

dent, shake (transitive verb: to degrade, weaken) ●

• Les critiques répétées ont fini par entamer sa détermination. (The repeated criticisms finally shook his determination.)

shake, rattle (transitive verb: to cause to doubt) ●

• Ces révélations ont entamé la confiance du public envers le gouvernement. (These revelations shook the public’s confidence in the government.)

ménage [menaʒ]

housework, cleaning (noun [m]: domestic tasks) ●

• Elle fait le ménage tous les samedis matin. (She does the housework every Saturday morning.)

couple, family, household (noun [m]: couple living together) ●

• Ce jeune ménage vient d’emménager dans le quartier. (This young couple has just moved into the neighborhood.)

household (noun [m]: sociology term for person or persons in a home) ●

• L’enquête a été menée auprès de deux mille ménages français. (The survey was conducted among two thousand French households.)

household (noun [m]: domestic affairs) ●

• Elle sait parfaitement tenir son ménage malgré son emploi du temps chargé. (She knows perfectly well how to run her household despite her busy schedule.)

purement [pyʁmɑ̃]

purely (adverb: exclusively) ●

• Cette décision est purement économique, sans aucune considération sociale. (This decision is purely economic, with no social consideration.)

simply (adverb: exactly) ●

• Il a purement refusé de discuter de cette affaire. (He simply refused to discuss this matter.)

enjeu [ɑ̃ʒø]

what they’re playing for, what’s at stake, prize, stakes (noun [m]: what can be won or lost) ●

• L’enjeu du tournoi est une somme de cent mille euros. (What’s at stake in the tournament is a sum of one hundred thousand euros.)

issue, concern (noun [m]: subject, question, challenge) ●

• Le changement climatique représente un enjeu majeur pour notre génération. (Climate change represents a major issue for our generation.)

passager [pasaʒe]

passenger (noun [m]: traveler) ●

• Les passagers du vol 402 sont priés de se présenter à la porte d’embarquement. (Passengers on flight 402 are asked to proceed to the boarding gate.)

temporary, brief, short-lived, passing (adjective: momentary, temporary) ●

• Cette crise n’est que passagère, la situation s’améliorera bientôt. (This crisis is only temporary; the situation will improve soon.)

transformation [tʁɑ̃sfɔʁmasjɔ̃]

transformation (noun [f]: change) ●

• La transformation numérique a changé notre façon de travailler. (The digital transformation has changed the way we work.)

conversion (noun [f]: Rugby, extra points for a try) ●

• Le joueur a marqué l’essai et réussi la transformation difficile. (The player scored the try and made the difficult conversion.)

calculer [kalkyle]

calculate, add up, work out, figure out, compute (transitive verb: perform a calculation) ●

• Peux-tu calculer le montant total de nos dépenses mensuelles ? (Can you calculate the total amount of our monthly expenses?)

weigh up, reckon (transitive verb: evaluate) ●

• Il faut calculer les risques avant de prendre une telle décision. (You have to weigh up the risks before making such a decision.)

look right through, cut, cut dead (transitive verb: slang, ignore someone) ●

• Elle m’a croisé dans la rue mais elle ne m’a même pas calculé. (She passed me in the street but didn’t even acknowledge me.)

misère [mizɛʁ]

poverty, impoverishment, penury, destitution (noun [f]: poverty) ●

• La misère dans certains quartiers de la ville est préoccupante. (The poverty in certain neighborhoods of the city is worrying.)

miseries, misfortunes, troubles, woes (noun [f] pl: problems) ●

• Il nous a raconté toutes ses misères pendant deux heures. (He told us about all his woes for two hours.)

impoverishment, poverty (noun [f]: figurative, smallness, intellectual poverty) ●

• La misère culturelle de cette région est due au manque d’investissements. (The cultural impoverishment of this region is due to lack of investment.)

légèrement [leʒɛʁmɑ̃]

lightly, gently, softly (adverb: in a gentle way) ●

• Elle a légèrement touché mon épaule pour attirer mon attention. (She lightly touched my shoulder to get my attention.)

lightly (adverb: in a light manner) ●

• En été, il faut s’habiller légèrement pour supporter la chaleur. (In summer, you have to dress lightly to bear the heat.)

slightly, a little (adverb: degree, a bit) ●

• Le prix a légèrement augmenté depuis le mois dernier. (The price has slightly increased since last month.)

lightly, carelessly, casually (adverb: without consideration) ●

• Il a légèrement oublié de mentionner les détails importants. (He casually forgot to mention the important details.)

écraser [ekʁaze]

press, flatten (transitive verb: flatten) ●

• La machine écrase les canettes pour faciliter le recyclage. (The machine flattens cans to make recycling easier.)

mash, crush (transitive verb: grind, food) ●

• N’oublie pas d’écraser l’ail avant de l’ajouter à la sauce. (Don’t forget to crush the garlic before adding it to the sauce.)

crush, squeeze, squash (transitive verb: compress) ●

• Attention à ne pas écraser les fruits dans ton sac. (Be careful not to crush the fruit in your bag.)

stand on, step on, tread on, crush, squash (transitive verb: hurt with foot) ●

• Excuse-moi, je t’ai écrasé le pied par accident ! (Sorry, I stepped on your foot by accident!)

swat, squash (transitive verb: kill by flattening) ●

• J’ai écrasé une araignée dans la salle de bain. (I squashed a spider in the bathroom.)

run over (transitive verb: kill by hitting with vehicle) ●

• Le conducteur a failli écraser un chat sur la route. (The driver nearly ran over a cat on the road.)

stub out (transitive verb: extinguish cigarette) ●

• Il a écrasé sa cigarette dans le cendrier avant d’entrer. (He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray before going in.)

overwrite (transitive verb: computing, erase data) ●

• Le nouveau fichier a écrasé l’ancienne version par erreur. (The new file overwrote the old version by mistake.)

crush, squash (transitive verb: press hard on) ●

• Le poids de la neige risque d’écraser le toit de la cabane. (The weight of the snow could crush the cabin’s roof.)

crush, weigh down, overburden (transitive verb: figurative, overwhelm) ●

• Les citoyens sont écrasés par la hausse constante des impôts. (Citizens are crushed by the constant increase in taxes.)

be overpowering, beat down (transitive verb: figurative, physically overwhelm) ●

• La chaleur du désert écrase les voyageurs non préparés. (The desert heat overpowers unprepared travelers.)

crush (transitive verb: figurative, informal, defeat someone) ●

• Notre équipe a écrasé l’adversaire avec un score de cinq à zéro. (Our team crushed the opponent with a score of five to zero.)

blow out of the water, quash, squash, make mincemeat of (transitive verb: figurative, dominate) ●

• Son talent exceptionnel écrase la concurrence. (Her exceptional talent blows the competition out of the water.)

crash (reflexive verb: fall) ●

• L’hélicoptère s’est écrasé dans la montagne à cause du brouillard. (The helicopter crashed in the mountains because of the fog.)

shut up (reflexive verb: informal, be quiet) ●

• Écrase-toi un peu, on essaie de travailler ici ! (Shut up a bit, we’re trying to work here!)

be crushed (reflexive verb: be massed together) ●

• Les fans se sont écrasés contre les barrières pour voir la star. (The fans were crushed against the barriers to see the star.)

enrichir [ɑ̃ʁiʃiʁ]

make rich, enrich, increase the wealth of, boost the economy of (transitive verb: make wealthy) ●

• Les exportations de pétrole ont enrichi le pays en quelques décennies. (Oil exports have made the country rich in a few decades.)

enrich, enhance, broaden, expand, improve (transitive verb: increase, augment) ●

• La lecture de romans classiques enrichit considérablement le vocabulaire. (Reading classical novels considerably enriches vocabulary.)

make your money, get rich, become rich, grow rich, become wealthy, grow wealthy (reflexive verb: make fortune) ●

• Il s’est enrichi en investissant dans l’immobilier au bon moment. (He got rich by investing in real estate at the right time.)

enrich, supplement (transitive verb: add substance to something) ●

• Ce pain a été enrichi en fibres pour améliorer ses qualités nutritives. (This bread has been enriched with fiber to improve its nutritional qualities.)

enrich (transitive verb: open the mind of) ●

• Les voyages à l’étranger enrichissent notre vision du monde. (Trips abroad enrich our vision of the world.)

be enriched, be enhanced (reflexive verb: gain elements) ●

• La langue s’enrichit constamment de nouveaux mots et expressions. (The language is constantly enriched with new words and expressions.)

be enriched by, be enhanced by, become richer through (reflexive verb: increase through something) ●

• Notre équipe s’enrichit de l’expertise de chaque nouveau membre. (Our team is enriched by the expertise of each new member.)

restaurant [ʁɛstɔʁɑ̃]

restaurant (noun [m]: business where one comes to eat) ●

• Nous avons réservé une table dans un restaurant italien pour ce soir. (We reserved a table in an Italian restaurant for tonight.)

destin

destiny, future, futurity (noun [m]: one’s future path) ●

• Elle rêve de devenir médecin : c’est son destin. (She dreams of becoming a doctor: it’s her destiny.)

destiny, fate, fortune, prospect (noun [m]: one’s lot or existence) ●

• Il a accepté son destin avec courage. (He accepted his fate with courage.)

destiny, fate, fortune (noun [m]: fate or predestination) ●

• Le destin des civilisations anciennes reste mystérieux. (The destiny of ancient civilizations remains mysterious.)

discrimination

discrimination (noun [f]: differential or unfair treatment) ●

• La discrimination à l’embauche est interdite par la loi. (Discrimination in hiring is prohibited by law.)

discrimination, distinction (noun [f]: ability to distinguish) ●

• Il faut apprendre la discrimination entre les faits et les opinions. (We must learn the distinction between facts and opinions.)

certitude

certainty, conviction (noun [f]: firm belief) ●

• J’ai la certitude qu’il dira la vérité. (I have the certainty that he will tell the truth.)

absolute certainty, sure thing (noun [f]: something completely certain) ●

• Sa réussite à l’examen est une certitude. (His success in the exam is an absolute certainty.)

huile

oil (noun [f]: cooking fat) ●

• L’huile d’olive est excellente pour la santé. (Olive oil is excellent for health.)

oil (noun [f]: lubricant) ●

• Le mécanicien a vérifié le niveau d’huile du moteur. (The mechanic checked the oil level of the engine.)

oil (noun [f]: paint medium) ●

• Elle préfère peindre à l’huile plutôt qu’à l’aquarelle. (She prefers to paint with oils rather than watercolors.)

oil painting, oil (noun [f]: artwork made with oils) ●

• Cette huile du XVIIe siècle vaut une fortune. (This 17th-century oil painting is worth a fortune.)

bigwig, big cheese, VIP (noun [f]: important person) ●

• Toutes les huiles de l’entreprise ont assisté à la réunion. (All the bigwigs of the company attended the meeting.)

sacré

sacred, holy (adjective: religious) ●

• Ce lieu est sacré pour les fidèles. (This place is sacred to the faithful.)

sacred (adjective: important and inviolable) ●

• Le dimanche est sacré dans cette famille. (Sunday is sacred in this family.)

a hell of a, quite a, some (adjective: emphatic intensifier) ●

• Tu as fait un sacré travail ! (You’ve done a hell of a job!)

blasted, damn, damned, bloody (adjective: emphatic curse) ●

• Cette sacrée voiture ne démarre jamais ! (This damned car never starts!)

autonomie

independence, self-sufficiency, self-reliance (noun [f]: capacity for independence) ●

• Les adolescents recherchent davantage d’autonomie. (Teenagers seek greater independence.)

battery life (noun [f]: operating duration) ●

• Mon ordinateur a une bonne autonomie de huit heures. (My laptop has a good battery life of eight hours.)

range (noun [f]: distance without recharging) ●

• Cette voiture électrique offre une autonomie de 400 kilomètres. (This electric car offers a range of 400 kilometers.)

independence, autonomy (noun [f]: local government power) ●

• La région réclame plus d’autonomie politique. (The region demands more political autonomy.)

sac

bag (noun [m]: container for carrying) ●

• J’ai mis mes courses dans un sac en plastique. (I put my groceries in a plastic bag.)

bag, handbag (noun [m]: woman’s accessory) ●

• Elle a oublié son sac à main dans le taxi. (She forgot her handbag in the taxi.)

plundering, pillaging, sacking (noun [m]: act of ransacking) ●

• Le sac de la ville a duré trois jours. (The sacking of the city lasted three days.)

stock

stock, reserve (noun [m]: inventory) ●

• Nous devons renouveler notre stock avant la fin du mois. (We must replenish our stock before the end of the month.)

ton, mass, stash (noun [m]: large quantity) ●

• J’ai un stock impressionnant de livres à lire. (I have an impressive stash of books to read.)

invoquer

invoke, cite (transitive verb: have recourse to law or rule) ●

• L’accusé a invoqué son droit au silence. (The accused invoked his right to silence.)

invoke, cite, allude to, refer to (transitive verb: give as an argument) ●

• Il a invoqué une excuse peu convaincante pour son absence. (He invoked an unconvincing excuse for his absence.)

call on, call upon, appeal to (transitive verb: call upon for help) ●

• Les citoyens ont invoqué l’aide du gouvernement. (The citizens called on the government for help.)

appeal to, pray to, supplicate, invoke (transitive verb: pray to a deity) ●

• Les fidèles invoquent la protection divine chaque jour. (The faithful pray to divine protection every day.)

compromettre

compromise, jeopardize (transitive verb: endanger) ●

• Cette erreur pourrait compromettre nos résultats. (This mistake could jeopardize our results.)

compromise (transitive verb: damage someone’s reputation) ●

• Ces révélations ont compromis le député dans l’affaire. (These revelations compromised the MP in the affair.)

incriminate (transitive verb: harm someone’s reputation) ●

• Les documents découverts pourraient le compromettre gravement. (The documents discovered could seriously incriminate him.)

arracher [aʀaʃe]

pull [sth] off, tear [sth] off (transitive verb: packaging) ●

• Il faut arracher l’étiquette avant de porter cette chemise. (You need to pull the label off before wearing this shirt.)

pull [sth] up (transitive verb: weeds) ●

• Nous devons arracher les mauvaises herbes du jardin chaque semaine. (We must pull up the weeds from the garden every week.)

remove (transitive verb) ●

• Le médecin va arracher cette dent infectée demain. (The doctor will remove this infected tooth tomorrow.)

extract [sth] from [sb] (transitive verb: figurative, obtain with difficulty) ●

• Les négociateurs ont réussi à arracher une promesse au ministre. (The negotiators succeeded in extracting a promise from the minister.)

tear [sb] away from [sb/sth] (transitive verb: figurative, separate) ●

• Il est difficile d’arracher les enfants de leurs jeux vidéo. (It’s difficult to tear children away from their video games.)

wrest [sb] from [sb/sth], rescue [sb] from [sb/sth] (transitive verb: formal, save) ●

• Les pompiers ont réussi à arracher les victimes des flammes. (The firefighters managed to rescue the victims from the flames.)

drag [sb] away from [sth] (transitive verb: figurative, stop activity) ●

• Mon patron a dû m’arracher de mon bureau pour que je prenne une pause. (My boss had to drag me away from my desk to make me take a break.)

be torn off, be ripped off, be pulled off (reflexive verb) ●

• Le bouton s’est arraché quand j’ai mis mon manteau. (The button was torn off when I put on my coat.)

sombre [sɔ̃bʀ]

dark, gloomy (adjective: lacking light) ●

• Cette pièce est trop sombre, il faudrait ouvrir les rideaux. (This room is too dark, we should open the curtains.)

dark (adverb: with little light) ●

• Il fait sombre dans ce couloir sans fenêtre. (It’s dark in this corridor without windows.)

sombre, somber, gloomy, glum (adjective: figurative, not cheerful) ●

• Après cette mauvaise nouvelle, il gardait un visage sombre. (After this bad news, he kept a gloomy face.)

dubious, questionable, murky, shadowy, shady (adjective: figurative, suspicious) ●

• La police enquête sur cette sombre affaire de corruption. (The police are investigating this murky corruption case.)

dreadful, right (adjective: familiar, pejorative, lamentable) ●

• Cet homme est un sombre imbécile qui ne comprend jamais rien. (This man is a right idiot who never understands anything.)

barre [baʀ]

bar (noun [f]: wood, metal, etc.) ●

• Une barre de métal bloque l’accès à ce passage. (A metal bar blocks access to this passage.)

bar (noun [f]: chocolate, cereal, etc.) ●

• J’achète toujours des barres de chocolat pour mes enfants. (I always buy chocolate bars for my children.)

contradiction [kɔ̃tʀadiksjɔ̃]

objection, contradiction (noun [f]: opposing statement) ●

• Il accepte rarement une contradiction de ses collègues. (He rarely accepts an objection from his colleagues.)

contradiction, inconsistency, discrepancy (noun [f]: incoherence) ●

• Il y a plusieurs contradictions dans son témoignage. (There are several contradictions in his testimony.)

contrariness, argumentativeness (noun [f]: tendency to contradict) ●

• Son esprit de contradiction rend toute discussion difficile. (His contrariness makes any discussion difficult.)

maîtriser [mɛtʀize]

master, understand (transitive verb: language) ●

• Elle maîtrise parfaitement l’espagnol et l’italien. (She masters Spanish and Italian perfectly.)

understand, know about (transitive verb: resource) ●

• Les ingénieurs maîtrisent cette nouvelle technologie. (The engineers understand this new technology.)

overcome, control, manage, handle (transitive verb: emotion) ●

• Il doit maîtriser sa peur avant de parler en public. (He must overcome his fear before speaking in public.)

control, get under control, overpower (transitive verb: by force) ●

• Les gardiens ont maîtrisé le prisonnier violent. (The guards overpowered the violent prisoner.)

have self-control (reflexive verb) ●

• Elle a du mal à se maîtriser quand elle est en colère. (She has trouble having self-control when she is angry.)

violer [vjɔle]

violate, break (transitive verb: law) ●

• L’entreprise a violé plusieurs règlements de sécurité. (The company violated several safety regulations.)

rape (transitive verb: commit rape) ●

• Le tribunal a condamné l’homme qui a violé cette femme. (The court sentenced the man who raped this woman.)

violate, desecrate (transitive verb: open illegally) ●

• Des vandales ont violé plusieurs tombes dans ce cimetière ancien. (Vandals violated several graves in this old cemetery.)

souveraineté [suvʀɛnte]

sovereignty (noun [f]: own power) ●

• La souveraineté nationale est un principe fondamental de notre constitution. (National sovereignty is a fundamental principle of our constitution.)

sovereign power (noun [f]: figurative, predominance) ●

• Dans cette démocratie, la souveraineté du peuple est respectée. (In this democracy, the sovereign power of the people is respected.)

épargner [epaʀɲe]

save, save up (intransitive verb: economize) ●

• Nous devons épargner pour acheter une maison. (We must save to buy a house.)

save, save up, set aside (transitive verb: put money aside) ●

• J’épargne cinquante euros chaque mois pour mes vacances. (I save fifty euros every month for my vacation.)

spare (transitive verb: avoid) ●

• Il voulait lui épargner cette terrible nouvelle. (He wanted to spare her this terrible news.)

spare (transitive verb: not kill) ●

• Le roi a décidé d’épargner le prisonnier. (The king decided to spare the prisoner.)

spare, go easy on [sb], be kind to [sb] (transitive verb: protect someone’s pride) ●

• Le professeur l’a épargné pendant la correction publique. (The teacher spared him during the public correction.)

save yourself, spare yourself (reflexive verb: avoid for oneself) ●

• Elle s’est épargnée cette corvée en demandant de l’aide. (She spared herself this chore by asking for help.)

concentration [kɔ̃sɑ̃tʀasjɔ̃]

concentration, focus (noun [f]: attention on subject) ●

• La concentration est essentielle pour réussir cet examen difficile. (Concentration is essential to pass this difficult exam.)

concentration (noun [f]: gathering, assembly) ●

• La concentration de troupes près de la frontière inquiète les pays voisins. (The concentration of troops near the border worries neighboring countries.)

téléphonique [telefɔnik]

phone, telephone (adjective: done by phone) ●

• J’ai eu une conversation téléphonique avec mon frère hier soir. (I had a phone conversation with my brother last night.)

remise [ʀ(ə)miz]

delivery, presentation, submission, remittance (noun [f]: handing over) ●

• La remise des diplômes aura lieu en juin. (The presentation of the diplomas will take place in June.)

discount, reduction (noun [f]: price reduction) ●

• Le magasin offre une remise de 20% sur tous les articles. (The store is offering a 20% discount on all items.)

putting back, re- (noun [f]: returning to previous state) ●

• La remise en état de la maison prendra plusieurs mois. (Putting the house back in order will take several months.)

store room, shed, outhouse, stock room (noun [f]: storage place) ●

• Les outils de jardinage sont rangés dans la remise. (The gardening tools are stored in the shed.)

mec

guy, lad, bloke (noun [m]: man, informal) ●

• Il y avait trois mecs au café qui discutaient de politique. (There were three guys at the café discussing politics.)

boyfriend, man, bloke, fella, guy (noun [m]: romantic partner, informal) ●

• Son mec l’a emmenée au cinéma hier soir. (Her boyfriend took her to the cinema last night.)

mate, buddy, man (interjection: addressing a man, informal) ●

• Hé mec, tu peux me passer le sel ? (Hey man, can you pass me the salt?)

solidarité

solidarity (noun [f]: mutual support) ●

• Les travailleurs ont fait grève par solidarité avec leurs collègues. (The workers went on strike out of solidarity with their colleagues.)

restreindre

restrain, limit, control (transitive verb: reduce, restrict) ●

• Nous devons restreindre notre consommation d’énergie. (We must limit our energy consumption.)

restrict yourself, limit yourself, cut back, curb your spending, be careful with your money (reflexive verb: economize) ●

• Depuis qu’elle a perdu son emploi, elle se restreint sur les dépenses. (Since she lost her job, she’s been cutting back on spending.)

limit yourself to, be limited to (reflexive verb: confine oneself) ●

• Le débat se restreint aux questions économiques. (The debate is limited to economic questions.)

décennie

decade (noun [f]: ten-year period) ●

• La dernière décennie a vu des changements technologiques majeurs. (The last decade has seen major technological changes.)

aussitôt

immediately, straight away, right away (adverb: at once) ●

• Elle a reçu le message et a répondu aussitôt. (She received the message and replied immediately.)

as soon as, immediately, the moment (conjunction phrase: when) ●

• Aussitôt que le train est arrivé, les passagers sont descendus. (As soon as the train arrived, the passengers got off.)

immediately after, straight after, just after (adverbial phrase: right afterwards) ●

• Il est parti aussitôt après la réunion. (He left immediately after the meeting.)

no sooner…than (adverb: expressing rapid succession) ●

• Aussitôt arrivé, aussitôt reparti. (No sooner arrived than departed.)

officiellement

officially (adverb: formally declared by authorities) ●

• Le projet sera officiellement lancé la semaine prochaine. (The project will be officially launched next week.)

chasser

go hunting (intransitive verb: practice hunting) ●

• Ils chassent tous les week-ends en automne. (They go hunting every weekend in autumn.)

hunt, shoot (transitive verb: pursue animal to kill) ●

• Les loups chassent en meute la nuit. (Wolves hunt in packs at night.)

hunt, chase, go after (transitive verb: pursue prey to capture) ●

• Le chat chasse les souris dans le grenier. (The cat hunts mice in the attic.)

shoo away, chase away, brush off, drive out (transitive verb: make animal leave) ●

• Elle chasse les pigeons du balcon avec un balai. (She shoos the pigeons away from the balcony with a broom.)

blow, sweep (transitive verb: push something forward) ●

• Le vent violent chasse les nuages vers l’est. (The strong wind sweeps the clouds eastward.)

get rid of, dispel (transitive verb: make disappear) ●

• Une promenade dans la nature chasse les idées noires. (A walk in nature gets rid of dark thoughts.)

fire, sack, dismiss (transitive verb: terminate employment, informal) ●

• L’entreprise a chassé plusieurs employés après le scandale. (The company fired several employees after the scandal.)

dîner

dinner (noun [m]: evening meal, France) ●

• Le dîner sera servi à vingt heures ce soir. (Dinner will be served at eight o’clock tonight.)

dinner (noun [m]: dinner event) ●

• Nous sommes invités à un dîner officiel à l’ambassade. (We are invited to an official dinner at the embassy.)

eat, have dinner, eat dinner, dine (intransitive verb: have evening meal, France) ●

• Nous dînons toujours vers dix-neuf heures. (We always have dinner around seven o’clock.)

lunch (noun [m]: midday meal, Belgium/Switzerland/Quebec) ●

• Au Québec, le dîner se prend à midi. (In Quebec, lunch is eaten at noon.)

have lunch, eat lunch, lunch (intransitive verb: have midday meal, Belgium/Switzerland/Quebec) ●

• En Belgique, nous dînons à midi et soupons le soir. (In Belgium, we have lunch at noon and supper in the evening.)

dine on, eat (transitive verb indirect: consume as meal) ●

• Ce soir, nous dînerons de poisson frais. (Tonight we will dine on fresh fish.)

personnellement

personally, in person (adverb: oneself in person) ●

• Le ministre a personnellement inauguré le nouveau bâtiment. (The minister personally inaugurated the new building.)

personally, myself (adverb: expressing personal opinion) ●

• Personnellement, je pense que cette décision est injuste. (Personally, I think this decision is unfair.)

fréquenter

frequent, visit (transitive verb: bar, club) ●

• Je fréquente ce café depuis dix ans. (I’ve been frequenting this café for ten years.)

spend time with [sb], keep company with [sb] (transitive verb: social relations) ●

• Elle fréquente des artistes et des musiciens. (She spends time with artists and musicians.)

go out with [sb], see (transitive verb: romantic partner) ●

• Paul fréquente une étudiante en médecine. (Paul is going out with a medical student.)

go out, see each other (reflexive verb: dating) ●

• Ils se fréquentent depuis six mois. (They’ve been going out for six months.)

projeter

plan, envisage, contemplate (transitive verb: intend) ●

• Nous projetons de déménager en province l’année prochaine. (We are planning to move to the countryside next year.)

show (transitive verb: display film or slides) ●

• Le professeur projette un documentaire sur la guerre. (The teacher is showing a documentary about the war.)

throw, project, launch (transitive verb: propel forcefully) ●

• Le volcan a projeté des roches à plusieurs kilomètres. (The volcano threw rocks several kilometers away.)

be thrown, be projected (verb phrase: cast shadow) ●

• La lumière du soleil se projette à travers les fenêtres. (The sunlight is projected through the windows.)

project (transitive verb: mathematics) ●

• Il faut projeter ce vecteur sur l’axe horizontal. (You need to project this vector onto the horizontal axis.)

see yourself, picture yourself (reflexive verb: imagine future) ●

• Il a du mal à se projeter dans ce nouveau poste. (He has trouble picturing himself in this new position.)

be projected (reflexive verb: be displayed) ●

• Le film se projette sur un grand écran blanc. (The film is projected onto a large white screen.)

littéraire

literary, literature (adjective: relating to writing) ●

• Elle étudie l’histoire littéraire du dix-neuvième siècle. (She studies the literary history of the nineteenth century.)

arts (adjective: relating to letters) ●

• Mon fils préfère les matières littéraires aux sciences. (My son prefers arts subjects to science.)

literary (adjective: elevated language) ●

• Ce mot est d’un registre littéraire et rarement utilisé à l’oral. (This word is of a literary register and rarely used in speech.)

literary person, the literati (noun [m/f]: person who appreciates literature) ●

• Les littéraires se réunissent chaque semaine pour discuter de romans. (Literary people meet every week to discuss novels.)

présider

preside over [sth], chair (transitive verb: lead) ●

• Le ministre préside la commission d’enquête. (The minister is presiding over the inquiry committee.)

preside over [sth], watch over [sth], supervise (transitive verb indirect: oversee) ●

• Elle préside aux destinées de l’entreprise familiale. (She presides over the destiny of the family business.)

govern (transitive verb indirect: strongly influence) ●

• Les mêmes principes président à toutes ses décisions. (The same principles govern all his decisions.)

fortune [fɔʀtyn]

fortune, wealth (noun [f]: money, riches) ●

• Il a hérité d’une fortune considérable de son oncle. (He inherited a considerable fortune from his uncle.)

a fortune (noun [f]: large sum of money) ●

• Cette montre a coûté une fortune ! (This watch cost a fortune!)

wealth holder (noun [f]: rich person) ●

• C’est l’une des plus grandes fortunes du pays. (He is one of the country’s greatest wealth holders.)

fortune, luck (noun [f]: fate or destiny) ●

• La fortune lui a souri ce jour-là. (Fortune smiled on him that day.)

malheureux

unhappy, sad, sorrowful (adjective: person feeling sad) ●

• Elle est malheureuse depuis la séparation. (She has been unhappy since the separation.)

unlucky (adjective: person who is unfortunate) ●

• Il a été malheureux dans ses affaires cette année. (He was unlucky in his business dealings this year.)

unsuccessful, unfortunate, unhappy (adjective: experience without success) ●

• Ce fut une tentative malheureuse de réconciliation. (It was an unsuccessful attempt at reconciliation.)

unfortunate, regrettable (adjective: awkward gesture or words) ●

• Son choix de mots était malheureux dans cette situation. (His choice of words was unfortunate in that situation.)

measly (adjective: small, insignificant sum) ●

• Il m’a donné trois malheureux euros pour tout ce travail. (He gave me three measly euros for all that work.)

needy, poor, poor person (noun [m/f]: person in need) ●

• L’association aide les malheureux du quartier. (The organization helps the needy in the neighborhood.)

poor soul, poor devil (interjection: expression of pity) ●

• Malheureux ! Qu’as-tu fait ? (Poor soul! What have you done?)

numérique

digital (adjective: electronic, not analog) ●

• Nous avons installé une caméra numérique dans le bureau. (We installed a digital camera in the office.)

numerical (adjective: relating to numbers) ●

• L’analyse numérique est une branche des mathématiques. (Numerical analysis is a branch of mathematics.)

digital technology (noun [m]: computing and telecommunications) ●

• Le numérique a transformé notre façon de communiquer. (Digital technology has transformed how we communicate.)

combattant

combatant (noun [m/f]: soldier) ●

• Les combattants ont déposé les armes après l’accord de paix. (The combatants laid down their arms after the peace agreement.)

combat, fighting (adjective: engaged in combat) ●

• Les forces combattantes ont reçu des renforts. (The combat forces received reinforcements.)

fighter, scrapper, brawler (noun [m/f]: someone who likes to fight) ●

• C’est un vrai combattant, il ne renonce jamais. (He’s a real fighter; he never gives up.)

Siamese fighting fish, betta (noun [m]: freshwater fish) ●

• Mon fils élève des combattants dans son aquarium. (My son raises Siamese fighting fish in his aquarium.)

ruff (noun [m]: wading bird) ●

• Les combattants migrent vers le nord au printemps. (Ruffs migrate north in spring.)

soupçonner

suspect (transitive verb: have suspicion about something) ●

• Je soupçonne qu’il y a un problème avec les comptes. (I suspect there is a problem with the accounts.)

suspect (transitive verb: believe someone guilty) ●

• La police soupçonne le voisin du cambriolage. (The police suspect the neighbor of the burglary.)

suspect [sb] of [sth] (verb plus preposition: accuse someone) ●

• On le soupçonne de fraude fiscale. (He is suspected of tax fraud.)

doubt, have doubts about (transitive verb: question something) ●

• Je soupçonne ses motivations réelles dans cette affaire. (I doubt his real motivations in this matter.)

suspect (verb phrase: believe someone does something) ●

• Je soupçonne mon collègue de mentir sur ses résultats. (I suspect my colleague of lying about his results.)

merde [mɛʀd]

shit, damn (interjection: expressing anger or disappointment) ●

• Merde ! J’ai oublié mes clés dans la voiture. (Shit! I left my keys in the car.)

shit, crap, mess (noun [f]: excrement) ●

• Il y a de la merde de chien sur le trottoir. (There’s dog shit on the sidewalk.)

shit, crap (noun [f]: worthless thing) ●

• Ce film, c’est vraiment de la merde. (This movie is really shit.)

cock-up, screw-up (noun [f]: problem, trouble) ●

• Il y a eu une merde avec la réservation de l’hôtel. (There was a cock-up with the hotel reservation.)

shitstorm, mess (noun [f]: difficult situation) ●

• On est dans une sacrée merde maintenant ! (We’re in a real mess now!)

shit, crap (noun [f]: pollution) ●

• Cette usine déverse sa merde dans la rivière. (This factory dumps its shit in the river.)

Break a leg!, Good luck! (interjection: wishing good fortune) ●

• Merde pour ton examen demain ! (Good luck for your exam tomorrow!)

entrepreneur

business owner, businessman, businesswoman (noun [m/f]: head of a company) ●

• L’entrepreneur a embauché dix nouveaux employés cette année. (The business owner hired ten new employees this year.)

contractor, builder (noun [m/f]: construction company head) ●

• Nous avons consulté plusieurs entrepreneurs pour rénover la cuisine. (We consulted several contractors to renovate the kitchen.)

entrepreneur (noun [m/f]: innovator) ●

• Cet entrepreneur a créé trois start-ups en cinq ans. (This entrepreneur created three start-ups in five years.)

exposition

exhibition (noun [f]: presentation of artistic works) ●

• J’ai visité une exposition de photographie contemporaine hier. (I visited a contemporary photography exhibition yesterday.)

exposure (noun [f]: being under influence) ●

• L’exposition prolongée au bruit peut endommager l’ouïe. (Prolonged exposure to noise can damage hearing.)

exposing, exposure (noun [f]: act of showing) ●

• L’exposition de ces documents secrets a créé un scandale. (The exposure of these secret documents created a scandal.)

orientation, exposure (noun [f]: direction something faces) ●

• Cette maison bénéficie d’une exposition plein sud. (This house benefits from a south-facing orientation.)

exposure (noun [f]: Photography, light radiation) ●

• Le photographe a ajusté l’exposition pour obtenir une meilleure image. (The photographer adjusted the exposure to get a better image.)

exposure (noun [f]: potential risk, figurative) ●

• La banque a minimisé son exposition aux marchés émergents. (The bank minimized its exposure to emerging markets.)

marchand

merchant, trader, seller (noun [m/f]: shopkeeper) ●

• Le marchand du coin vend des fruits et légumes frais. (The local merchant sells fresh fruit and vegetables.)

stallholder (noun [m/f]: outdoor market vendor) ●

• Ce marchand propose des produits artisanaux au marché chaque dimanche. (This stallholder offers artisanal products at the market every Sunday.)

cri [kʁi]

cry, shout (noun [m]: loud sound from the voice) ●

• Un cri perçant a réveillé tout le quartier. (A piercing cry woke up the whole neighborhood.)

cry, call, sound, noise (noun [m]: sound emitted by an animal) ●

• Le cri du loup résonne dans la forêt la nuit. (The wolf’s cry echoes through the forest at night.)

scream (noun [m]: very loud and high pitched sound) ●

• Elle a poussé un cri de terreur en voyant l’araignée. (She let out a scream of terror upon seeing the spider.)

holler (noun [m]: mainly US usage) ●

• Son cri a attiré l’attention des passants dans la rue. (His holler attracted the attention of passersby in the street.)

féminin

female, feminine (adjective: relating to women) ●

• La voix féminine est généralement plus aiguë que la voix masculine. (The female voice is generally higher pitched than the male voice.)

women’s (adjective: group composed of women) ●

• L’équipe féminine de basket a remporté le championnat. (The women’s basketball team won the championship.)

women’s, for women (adjective: intended for women) ●

• Ce magazine féminin propose des articles sur la mode et la beauté. (This women’s magazine features articles on fashion and beauty.)

feminine (noun [m]: grammatical gender) ●

• En français, le mot « table » est au féminin. (In French, the word “table” is in the feminine.)

feminine (adjective: resembling a woman) ●

• Ce mannequin masculin a des traits féminins délicats. (This male model has delicate feminine features.)

for women, women’s (adjective: reserved for women only) ●

• Cette salle de sport propose des cours exclusivement féminins. (This gym offers classes exclusively for women.)

feminine (adjective: Grammar) ●

• L’adjectif doit s’accorder au féminin avec le nom. (The adjective must agree in the feminine with the noun.)

désert

desert (noun [m]: very dry place) ●

• Le désert du Sahara est le plus grand désert chaud du monde. (The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world.)

deserted, uninhabited, barren (adjective: unpopulated) ●

• Ils ont découvert une plage déserte au bout de l’île. (They discovered a deserted beach at the end of the island.)

desert (adjective: island context) ●

• Les naufragés ont survécu sur une île déserte pendant trois mois. (The castaways survived on a desert island for three months.)

wasteland, wilderness (noun [m]: empty, uninhabited place, figurative) ●

• Ce quartier est devenu un désert culturel depuis la fermeture du théâtre. (This neighborhood has become a cultural wasteland since the theater closed.)

vêtement

item of clothing, clothing item, article of clothing, garment (noun [m]: piece of clothing) ●

• Ce vêtement doit être lavé à la main. (This item of clothing must be hand washed.)

clothes, clothing (noun [m] pl: garments worn on the body) ●

• Les vêtements doivent être rangés dans l’armoire. (The clothes must be put away in the wardrobe.)

blanket (noun [m]: thing that covers another, literary, figurative) ●

• Un vêtement de neige recouvrait les montagnes. (A blanket of snow covered the mountains.)

autrefois

once, at one time, once upon a time, in the past (adverb: in the past, formerly) ●

• Autrefois, les gens voyageaient en calèche. (Once upon a time, people traveled by carriage.)

there was a time, there was a time when (adverb: in days gone by) ●

• Autrefois, cette ville était un petit village de pêcheurs. (There was a time when this city was a small fishing village.)

in days gone by, in times past (adverb: archaic phrasing) ●

• Les coutumes d’autrefois ont presque toutes disparu. (The customs of days gone by have almost all disappeared.)

surmonter

overcome, conquer, master, surmount, get the better of, get over, get past (transitive verb: defeat an obstacle) ●

• Elle a réussi à surmonter sa peur de l’avion. (She managed to overcome her fear of flying.)

sit on top of, sit atop of, top, crown (transitive verb: be placed above something) ●

• Une croix surmonte le clocher de l’église. (A cross sits on top of the church steeple.)

marchandise

merchandise, goods (noun [f]: material goods) ●

• La marchandise sera livrée demain matin. (The merchandise will be delivered tomorrow morning.)

autochtone [ɔtɔktɔn]

native (noun [m/f]: indigenous person) ●

• Les autochtones de cette région parlent encore leur langue ancestrale. (The natives of this region still speak their ancestral language.)

native (adjective: indigenous) ●

• La culture autochtone mérite d’être protégée et valorisée. (Native culture deserves to be protected and valued.)

autochthon (noun [m/f]: indigenous person) ●

• Les autochthones ont développé des techniques agricoles adaptées au climat local. (The autochthons developed farming techniques adapted to the local climate.)

aboriginal (noun [m/f]: indigenous person) ●

• Les aborigènes d’Australie possèdent une riche tradition orale. (The aboriginals of Australia possess a rich oral tradition.)

autochthonous (adjective: indigenous, formal) ●

• Les espèces autochtones sont menacées par les plantes invasives. (Autochthonous species are threatened by invasive plants.)

autochthonal (adjective: indigenous, formal) ●

• La population autochtone a conservé ses traditions malgré la colonisation. (The autochthonal population preserved its traditions despite colonization.)

autochthonic (adjective: indigenous, formal) ●

• Les communautés autochtones luttent pour leurs droits territoriaux. (Autochthonic communities are fighting for their territorial rights.)

aboriginal (adjective: indigenous) ●

• Les droits aborigènes sont enfin reconnus par la loi. (Aboriginal rights are finally recognized by law.)

indigenous (adjective: native to a region) ●

• Les plantes autochtones s’adaptent mieux au climat que les espèces importées. (Indigenous plants adapt better to the climate than imported species.)

continent [kɔ̃tinɑ̃]

continent (noun [m]: landmass) ●

• L’Asie est le plus grand continent du monde. (Asia is the largest continent in the world.)

mainland (noun [m]: land as opposed to island) ●

• Nous prenons le ferry pour rejoindre le continent demain matin. (We’re taking the ferry to reach the mainland tomorrow morning.)

continent (adjective: able to control bodily functions, Medical) ●

• Après l’opération, le patient est heureusement resté continent. (After the operation, the patient fortunately remained continent.)

définitivement [definitivmɑ̃]

permanently (adverb: irrevocably) ●

• Le magasin a définitivement fermé ses portes le mois dernier. (The store permanently closed its doors last month.)

for good (adverb: permanently) ●

• Elle a quitté Paris définitivement pour s’installer à Lyon. (She left Paris for good to settle in Lyon.)

once and for all (adverb: finally and permanently) ●

• Il faut régler ce problème définitivement avant qu’il ne s’aggrave. (We must resolve this problem once and for all before it gets worse.)

definitively (adverb: conclusively) ●

• Les négociations ont définitivement échoué hier soir. (The negotiations definitively failed last night.)

heureusement [øʁøzmɑ̃]

fortunately (adverb: luckily) ●

• Heureusement, nous avons trouvé un taxi juste à temps. (Fortunately, we found a taxi just in time.)

luckily (adverb: by good fortune) ●

• Heureusement, personne n’a été blessé dans l’accident. (Luckily, nobody was injured in the accident.)

well (adverb: with happiness) ●

• Le projet s’est heureusement achevé dans les délais prévus. (The project ended well within the expected timeframe.)

happily (adverb: with a happy outcome) ●

• La dispute s’est heureusement résolue sans intervention extérieure. (The dispute was happily resolved without outside intervention.)

Just as well (conjunction phrase: it’s fortunate that, informal) ●

• Heureusement que tu as pensé à prendre les clés ! (Just as well you remembered to take the keys!)

Good job (conjunction phrase: it’s fortunate that, UK informal) ●

• Heureusement que le médecin est arrivé rapidement ! (Good job the doctor arrived quickly!)

It is lucky (conjunction phrase: it’s fortunate) ●

• Heureusement qu’il pleut car les jardins avaient besoin d’eau. (It is lucky that it’s raining because the gardens needed water.)

It is fortunate (conjunction phrase: it’s lucky) ●

• Heureusement que nous avions réservé une table à l’avance. (It is fortunate that we had reserved a table in advance.)

digne [diɲ]

dignified (adjective: showing dignity) ●

• Elle a gardé une attitude digne malgré les circonstances difficiles. (She maintained a dignified attitude despite the difficult circumstances.)

honourable (adjective: estimable, UK) ●

• C’est un homme digne qui respecte toujours ses engagements. (He is an honourable man who always keeps his commitments.)

honorable (adjective: estimable, US) ●

• Ils ont agi de manière digne et responsable. (They acted in an honorable and responsible manner.)

worthy (adjective: estimable) ●

• Ce candidat est digne de notre confiance. (This candidate is worthy of our trust.)

worthy of (adjective: deserving of) ●

• Son travail est digne d’éloges. (His work is worthy of praise.)

deserving of (adjective: meriting) ●

• Cette découverte est digne d’attention. (This discovery is deserving of attention.)

deserve (transitive verb: to merit) ●

• Ce film est digne d’un Oscar. (This film deserves an Oscar.)

merit (transitive verb: to deserve) ●

• Cette affaire est digne d’une enquête approfondie. (This matter merits a thorough investigation.)

trustworthy (suffix: worthy of trust) ●

• Il cherche un collaborateur digne de confiance. (He’s looking for a trustworthy collaborator.)

worthy (adjective: faithful and resembling) ●

• Elle est la digne héritière de sa grand-mère. (She is the worthy heir of her grandmother.)

deserving (adjective: faithful and resembling) ●

• Il est le digne successeur du fondateur. (He is the deserving successor to the founder.)

guide [gid]

guide (noun [m]: book) ●

• J’ai acheté un guide touristique avant de partir en voyage. (I bought a tourist guide before leaving on my trip.)

guide book (noun [m]: informational book) ●

• Ce guide contient toutes les informations nécessaires pour visiter la région. (This guide book contains all the necessary information for visiting the region.)

guide (noun [m/f]: tour leader) ●

• Notre guide nous a raconté l’histoire fascinante de ce château. (Our guide told us the fascinating history of this castle.)

mountain guide (noun [m/f]: climbing professional) ●

• Le guide nous a aidés à atteindre le sommet en toute sécurité. (The mountain guide helped us reach the summit safely.)

tabac [taba]

tobacco (noun [m]: plant dried for smoking) ●

• La culture du tabac est une activité agricole importante dans cette région. (Tobacco cultivation is an important agricultural activity in this region.)

tobacconist (noun [m]: shop) ●

• Je vais au tabac acheter des timbres et le journal. (I’m going to the tobacconist to buy stamps and the newspaper.)

tobacconist’s (noun [m]: shop) ●

• Le tabac du coin ouvre à sept heures le matin. (The tobacconist’s on the corner opens at seven in the morning.)

snuff (noun [m]: powder to inhale) ●

• Autrefois, les aristocrates prisaient du tabac en poudre. (In the past, aristocrats used to take snuff.)

rendement [ʁɑ̃dmɑ̃]

yield (noun [m]: productivity) ●

• Le rendement des récoltes a augmenté cette année grâce au beau temps. (The yield of the harvests increased this year thanks to the good weather.)

productivity (noun [m]: business output) ●

• L’entreprise cherche à améliorer le rendement de ses employés. (The company is seeking to improve the productivity of its employees.)

output (noun [m]: machine production) ●

• Cette machine a un excellent rendement pour sa taille. (This machine has excellent output for its size.)

return (noun [m]: financial profit, Finance) ●

• Ce placement offre un rendement annuel de 5 pour cent. (This investment offers an annual return of 5 percent.)

ampleur [ɑ̃plœʁ]

extent (noun [f]: scope, figurative) ●

• Nous ne connaissons pas encore l’ampleur des dommages causés par l’inondation. (We don’t yet know the extent of the damage caused by the flood.)

scope (noun [f]: range, figurative) ●

• L’ampleur de ce projet nécessite une équipe importante. (The scope of this project requires a large team.)

scale (noun [f]: magnitude, figurative) ●

• Personne n’avait prévu l’ampleur de la crise économique. (Nobody had anticipated the scale of the economic crisis.)

sweep (noun [f]: largeness of movement) ●

• L’ampleur de ses gestes révèle son expérience de danseur classique. (The sweep of his gestures reveals his experience as a classical dancer.)

breadth (noun [f]: width) ●

• L’ampleur de cette vallée est impressionnante. (The breadth of this valley is impressive.)

size (noun [f]: large dimensions) ●

• L’ampleur de ce bâtiment m’a surpris. (The size of this building surprised me.)

pleinement [plɛnmɑ̃]

fully (adverb: entirely) ●

• Je suis pleinement conscient des risques de cette décision. (I am fully aware of the risks of this decision.)

entirely (adverb: completely) ●

• Elle s’est pleinement investie dans ce projet. (She entirely committed herself to this project.)

completely (adverb: totally) ●

• Nous sommes pleinement satisfaits du résultat. (We are completely satisfied with the result.)

wholeheartedly (adverb: with full heart) ●

• Je soutiens pleinement votre candidature. (I wholeheartedly support your candidacy.)

désastre [dezastʁ]

disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tragedy (noun [m]: catastrophe, great misfortune) ●

• Le tremblement de terre fut un véritable désastre pour la région. (The earthquake was a real disaster for the region.)

disaster (noun [m]: crushing military defeat) ●

• La bataille de Waterloo représenta un désastre pour Napoléon. (The Battle of Waterloo represented a disaster for Napoleon.)

calamity, disaster, fiasco, flop (noun [m]: distressing or regrettable thing) ●

• Son premier concert solo fut un désastre complet. (His first solo concert was a complete fiasco.)

disaster, catastrophe (noun [m]: complete failure, ruin) ●

• L’effondrement boursier a été un désastre économique. (The stock market collapse was an economic disaster.)

joli [ʒɔli]

pretty, lovely, nice, attractive (adjective: cute, pretty) ●

• Elle porte une jolie robe bleue ce soir. (She’s wearing a pretty blue dress tonight.)

tidy (adjective: substantial sum of money) ●

• Il a gagné une jolie somme au casino hier soir. (He won a tidy sum at the casino last night.)

honey, darling, lovely (noun [m]: informal term of endearment) ●

• Alors mon joli, qu’est-ce que tu veux boire ? (So my lovely, what would you like to drink?)

promouvoir [pʁɔmuvwaʁ]

promote (transitive verb: nominate to a higher position) ●

• Elle a été promue au poste de directrice régionale. (She was promoted to the position of regional director.)

promote (transitive verb: put forward, publicize) ●

• L’entreprise cherche à promouvoir ses nouveaux services écologiques. (The company is seeking to promote its new ecological services.)

écho [eko]

echo, reverberation (noun [m]: sound that reverberates) ●

• On entend l’écho de nos voix dans cette grotte. (You can hear the echo of our voices in this cave.)

rumour, rumor (noun [m]: information, news) ●

• J’ai eu des échos positifs concernant la nouvelle politique. (I’ve heard positive rumours about the new policy.)

echo, reflection (noun [m]: figurative reminder of something) ●

• Ce roman contient un écho des événements historiques de l’époque. (This novel contains an echo of the historical events of the period.)

fusion [fyzjɔ̃]

merger (noun [f]: merging of companies) ●

• La fusion des deux banques créera un géant financier. (The merger of the two banks will create a financial giant.)

molten (noun [f]: transformation to liquid state) ●

• Le métal en fusion sera versé dans les moules. (The molten metal will be poured into the moulds.)

innovation [inɔvasjɔ̃]

innovation (noun [f]: action of innovating) ●

• L’innovation technologique est essentielle pour rester compétitif. (Technological innovation is essential to remain competitive.)

invention, innovation (noun [f]: creation, invention) ●

• Cette innovation a révolutionné l’industrie automobile. (This invention revolutionized the automotive industry.)

sélection [selɛksjɔ̃]

selection, choosing (noun [f]: act of choosing) ●

• La sélection des candidats prendra plusieurs semaines. (The selection of candidates will take several weeks.)

selection, range, collection (noun [f]: chosen set) ●

• Le magasin offre une large sélection de vins français. (The shop offers a wide selection of French wines.)

selection (noun [f]: biology – choice made by nature) ●

• La sélection naturelle favorise les individus les mieux adaptés. (Natural selection favors the best-adapted individuals.)

confondre [kɔ̃fɔ̃dʁ]

get mixed up, confuse, mistake, conflate (transitive verb: fail to distinguish) ●

• Je confonds toujours ces deux mots similaires. (I always get these two similar words mixed up.)

foil, thwart, confound (transitive verb: unmask, expose) ●

• Les preuves ont confondu le suspect dans son mensonge. (The evidence confounded the suspect in his lie.)

baffle, confound, throw (transitive verb: disconcert, bewilder) ●

• Sa réaction inattendue a confondu tout le monde. (His unexpected reaction baffled everyone.)

combine (transitive verb: merge, fuse together) ●

• Nous pourrions confondre ces deux projets pour économiser du temps. (We could combine these two projects to save time.)

become mixed up, become confused, no longer be clear (reflexive verb: no longer distinguish) ●

• Les souvenirs de mon enfance se confondent avec le temps. (Memories of my childhood become mixed up over time.)

blend into each other, blend, merge (reflexive verb: mix together) ●

• À l’horizon, le ciel et la mer se confondent parfaitement. (On the horizon, the sky and sea blend perfectly into each other.)

merge into, blend into (reflexive verb: mix with something) ●

• La forêt se confond avec les montagnes au loin. (The forest blends into the mountains in the distance.)

coincide, be equal (reflexive verb: geometry – overlap, be identical) ●

• Dans ce cas particulier, les deux droites se confondent exactement. (In this particular case, the two lines coincide exactly.)

honnête [ɔnɛt]

honest, respectable, law-abiding, decent (adjective: upright, virtuous) ●

• C’est un commerçant honnête qui ne trompe jamais ses clients. (He’s an honest merchant who never cheats his customers.)

honest (adjective: who says what they think, in good faith) ●

• Soyez honnête avec moi, que pensez-vous vraiment de mon projet ? (Be honest with me, what do you really think of my project?)

honest with, straight with, level with (adjective: who tells someone the truth) ●

• Je préfère être honnête avec toi plutôt que de te mentir. (I prefer to be honest with you rather than lie to you.)

honest (adjective: correct with money) ●

• Ce garagiste est honnête et ne facture jamais trop cher. (This mechanic is honest and never overcharges.)

fair, decent (adjective: fair price) ●

• Le prix proposé me paraît honnête pour ce type de service. (The proposed price seems fair to me for this type of service.)

decent, fair (adjective: acceptable, reasonable) ●

• Il a obtenu des résultats honnêtes sans être exceptionnels. (He achieved decent results without being exceptional.)

tournant [tuʁnɑ̃]

corner, bend (noun [m]: change of direction in a road) ●

• Ralentis en approchant du tournant, la route est glissante. (Slow down as you approach the bend, the road is slippery.)

turning point (noun [m]: decisive moment) ●

• Cette décision représente un tournant majeur dans ma carrière. (This decision represents a major turning point in my career.)

automobile [otɔmɔbil]

car (noun [f]: motor vehicle) ●

• Ma nouvelle automobile consomme très peu d’essence. (My new car uses very little gas.)

self-propelled (adjective: capable of moving independently) ●

• Les véhicules automobiles doivent respecter le code de la route. (Self-propelled vehicles must comply with traffic laws.)

collectivité [kɔlɛktivite]

community (noun [f]: group of people) ●

• La collectivité locale a décidé de construire une nouvelle bibliothèque. (The local community decided to build a new library.)

record [ʁəkɔʁ]

record (noun [m]: new performance) ●

• L’athlète a établi un nouveau record du monde hier soir. (The athlete set a new world record last night.)

record (noun [m]: level not yet reached) ●

• Les ventes ont atteint des records ce trimestre. (Sales reached record levels this quarter.)

record (adjective: exceptional) ●

• L’équipe a terminé le projet en un délai record. (The team finished the project in record time.)

excessif [ɛksɛsif]

excessive (adjective: too much) ●

• Le prix demandé pour cette maison me semble excessif. (The asking price for this house seems excessive to me.)

excessive, over the top (adjective: doing too much) ●

• Son enthousiasme peut parfois paraître excessif. (His enthusiasm can sometimes seem over the top.)

ridicule [ʁidikyl]

ridiculous (adjective: grotesque) ●

• Il portait un chapeau tout à fait ridicule. (He was wearing a completely ridiculous hat.)

absurd (adjective: nonsensical) ●

• Cette explication est ridicule, personne ne va la croire. (This explanation is absurd, nobody will believe it.)

ridiculously low, negligible (adjective: minimal) ●

• Ils vendent ces antiquités à un prix ridicule. (They are selling these antiques at a ridiculously low price.)

be ridiculous (noun [m]: being ridiculous) ●

• Il ne craint pas le ridicule quand il monte sur scène. (He isn’t afraid of being ridiculous when he goes on stage.)

modalité [mɔdalite]

terms and conditions, ways and means (noun [f]: condition) ●

• Les modalités de paiement sont indiquées au dos du contrat. (The terms and conditions of payment are indicated on the back of the contract.)

modality, manner (noun [f]: modification of meaning) ●

• En linguistique, la modalité exprime l’attitude du locuteur. (In linguistics, modality expresses the speaker’s attitude.)

paquet [pakɛ]

parcel, package (noun [m]: wrapped object for transport) ●

• J’ai reçu un paquet de ma famille aujourd’hui. (I received a package from my family today.)

packet, pack (noun [m]: product packaging) ●

• Peux-tu acheter un paquet de biscuits au supermarché? (Can you buy a packet of cookies at the supermarket?)

packet, pack (noun [m]: packaged goods) ●

• Elle a acheté trois paquets de café ce matin. (She bought three packets of coffee this morning.)

mass, pile (noun [m]: collection of similar items) ●

• J’ai trouvé un paquet de vieilles lettres dans le grenier. (I found a pile of old letters in the attic.)

mass, lump (noun [m]: shapeless mass of something) ●

• Après la pluie, il y avait des paquets de boue partout. (After the rain, there were lumps of mud everywhere.)

a lot of, loads of (noun [m]: large quantity of something) ●

• J’ai un paquet de choses à finir avant demain. (I have loads of things to finish before tomorrow.)

fondation [fɔ̃dasjɔ̃]

foundation, founding (noun [f]: creation) ●

• La fondation de l’université remonte au quinzième siècle. (The founding of the university dates back to the fifteenth century.)

foundation, fund (noun [f]: institution with specific purpose) ●

• Cette fondation soutient la recherche médicale depuis vingt ans. (This foundation has been supporting medical research for twenty years.)

foundations, footings (noun [f] pl: base of building) ●

• Les ouvriers ont commencé à couler les fondations hier matin. (The workers started pouring the foundations yesterday morning.)

terroriste [tɛʁɔʁist]

terrorist (adjective: relating to terrorism) ●

• La police a déjoué une attaque terroriste ce matin. (The police foiled a terrorist attack this morning.)

terrorist (noun [m/f]: supporter of terrorist acts) ●

• Les terroristes ont été arrêtés à la frontière. (The terrorists were arrested at the border.)

retrait [ʁətʁɛ]

withdrawal (noun [m]: leaving a place) ●

• Le président a annoncé le retrait des troupes du territoire. (The president announced the withdrawal of troops from the territory.)

withdrawal (noun [m]: money from account) ●

• Je dois faire un retrait de deux cents euros à la banque. (I need to make a withdrawal of two hundred euros at the bank.)

withdrawal, removal (noun [m]: confiscation) ●

• Le retrait de son passeport l’empêche de voyager à l’étranger. (The withdrawal of his passport prevents him from traveling abroad.)

withdrawal (noun [m]: cancellation of participation) ●

• Le retrait du candidat a surpris tout le monde. (The candidate’s withdrawal surprised everyone.)

pulling out, withdrawal (noun [m]: contraceptive method) ●

• Le retrait n’est pas une méthode contraceptive fiable. (Pulling out is not a reliable contraceptive method.)

organe

organ (noun [m]: anatomy) ●

• Le cœur est l’organe le plus vital du corps humain. (The heart is the most vital organ of the human body.)

system, mechanism (noun [m]: mechanical part) ●

• L’organe de freinage de cette voiture doit être remplacé. (The braking system of this car must be replaced.)

voice (noun [m]: figurative) ●

• Le chanteur d’opéra possède un organe impressionnant. (The opera singer has an impressive voice.)

protocole

protocol (noun [m]: procedure) ●

• Les médecins doivent suivre un protocole strict pour cette opération. (Doctors must follow a strict protocol for this operation.)

protocol, procedure (noun [m]: medical care) ●

• Le protocole de traitement a été mis à jour cette année. (The treatment protocol was updated this year.)

protocol (noun [m]: computing) ●

• Ce site utilise le protocole HTTPS pour sécuriser les données. (This site uses HTTPS protocol to secure data.)

protocol (noun [m]: ceremonial) ●

• Le protocole diplomatique exige que l’on respecte certaines règles. (Diplomatic protocol requires that certain rules be followed.)

apparition

appearance, first appearance, arrival, outbreak (noun [f]: beginning) ●

• L’apparition des premières fleurs annonce le printemps. (The appearance of the first flowers announces spring.)

appearance (noun [f]: unexpected arrival) ●

• Son apparition à la fête a surpris tout le monde. (His appearance at the party surprised everyone.)

apparition, ghost, spectre, specter (noun [f]: supernatural manifestation) ●

• Les villageois prétendent avoir vu une apparition dans le vieux château. (The villagers claim to have seen an apparition in the old castle.)

gain

gain, saving (noun [m]: recovery) ●

• Le nouveau système permet un gain de temps considérable. (The new system allows for a considerable time saving.)

profit (noun [m]: financial benefit) ●

• L’entreprise a réalisé un gain important cette année. (The company made a significant profit this year.)

benefit (noun [m]: advantage) ●

• Quel gain pouvons-nous retirer de ce nouveau partenariat? (What benefit can we get from this new partnership?)

profit, gain, amassing money, making money, earnings (noun [m]: act of making money) ●

• Il est motivé uniquement par l’appât du gain. (He is motivated solely by the lure of profit.)

winning, win (noun [m]: favorable outcome) ●

• Le gain du match a été célébré par toute l’équipe. (The team celebrated winning the match.)

écran

screen (noun [m]: display device) ●

• Je regarde souvent des films sur l’écran de mon ordinateur. (I often watch movies on my computer screen.)

sonner

ring (intransitive verb: emit ringing) ●

• Mon téléphone sonne sans arrêt ce matin. (My phone is ringing non-stop this morning.)

ring (intransitive verb: use doorbell) ●

• Quelqu’un a sonné à la porte, peux-tu ouvrir? (Someone rang at the door, can you answer it?)

sound, strike (transitive verb: announce by ringing) ●

• La cloche de l’église sonne midi tous les jours. (The church bell strikes noon every day.)

call for, send for, ring for (transitive verb: summon with bell) ●

• La malade a sonné l’infirmière pour avoir de l’eau. (The patient rang for the nurse to get some water.)

stun, knock for six (transitive verb: informal – daze) ●

• Le coup sur la tête l’a complètement sonné. (The blow to the head completely stunned him.)

protester

protest, oppose (intransitive verb: oppose) ●

• Les citoyens protestent contre la nouvelle loi. (Citizens are protesting against the new law.)

protest, demonstrate (intransitive verb: demonstrate publicly) ●

• Des milliers de personnes ont protesté dans les rues hier. (Thousands of people protested in the streets yesterday.)

protest (intransitive verb: complain) ●

• Mon fils a protesté quand je lui ai dit d’éteindre la télé. (My son protested when I told him to turn off the TV.)

profess, argue, invoke (transitive verb indirect: assert) ●

• L’accusé a protesté de son innocence devant le tribunal. (The accused professed his innocence before the court.)

curieux

curious, interested in, keen on (adjective: wanting to know) ●

• Les enfants sont naturellement curieux du monde qui les entoure. (Children are naturally curious about the world around them.)

curious, strange, bizarre (adjective: strange) ●

• C’est curieux qu’il ne soit pas encore arrivé. (It’s strange that he hasn’t arrived yet.)

curious person (noun [m/f]: one who wants to know) ●

• Ma petite sœur est une curieuse qui pose toujours mille questions. (My little sister is a curious person who always asks a thousand questions.)

curious, indiscreet, nosey, nosy (adjective: indiscreet) ●

• Ne sois pas si curieux, cela ne te regarde pas! (Don’t be so nosy, it’s none of your business!)

curious person, nosy person, nosey person, rubbernecker, curtain-twitcher (noun [m/f]: busybody) ●

• Les curieux se sont rassemblés autour de l’accident. (Rubberneckers gathered around the accident.)

effacer

erase, wipe away, wipe off (transitive verb: make disappear) ●

• Il faut effacer cette erreur du tableau. (We need to erase this mistake from the board.)

clean, wipe (transitive verb: clean) ●

• Peux-tu effacer le tableau avant le prochain cours? (Can you clean the board before the next class?)

delete (transitive verb: computing – remove) ●

• J’ai accidentellement effacé tous mes emails. (I accidentally deleted all my emails.)

fade (reflexive verb: become faint) ●

• Les couleurs de cette peinture se sont effacées avec le temps. (The colors of this painting have faded over time.)

débuter

start, begin, commence (intransitive verb: commence) ●

• Le spectacle débute à vingt heures précises. (The show starts at eight o’clock sharp.)

begin, debut, make one’s début, commence, start out (intransitive verb: make one’s debut) ●

• Elle a débuté comme assistante avant de devenir directrice. (She started out as an assistant before becoming director.)

begin, begin doing, start doing, commence (transitive verb: informal – start) ●

• Mon fils débutera ses études universitaires en septembre. (My son will begin his university studies in September.)