Articles about French
800+ articles on French language topics!
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Faire des ravages
The French phrase faire des ravages is a common expression that translates literally to “to make ravages” or “to cause destruction.” The verb faire means “to make” or “to do,” while ravages is the plural noun meaning “damage,” “destruction,” or…
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N’empêche pas
The French phrase n’empêche pas comes from the verb empêcher, which means “to prevent” or “to stop” or “to hinder.” Broken down, n’ is the negative particle, empêche is the verb meaning “prevents,” and pas is another negative marker. Taken…
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bon vs bien
In English, “good” does one job. In French, two words share this work. Bon and bien both mean “good,” but they work in different ways. Understanding which to use takes only a few minutes of clear thinking. What bon is…
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Faire expressions
The French verb faire means “to do” or “to make,” but many set phrases use a different English verb. Some refer to everyday tasks or activities; others have a figurative meaning. Summary Faire can mean “do” or “make,” but its…
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-uct becomes -uire
Some English verbs ending in -uct have French counterparts ending in -uire. The spelling does not change by a simple rule, and the meanings do not always line up exactly. Learn each pair with its use. Verbs that fit the…
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On s’en doute
The French phrase on s’en doute translates literally as “one doubts it” or “we doubt it.” In practice, it means the opposite of what the words suggest. When a French speaker says on s’en doute, they mean “I/we could guess,”…
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sur le coup
The French phrase sur le coup translates literally to “on the stroke” or “on the blow.” It comes from the idea of being struck or caught at a precise moment, and the phrase carries several distinct but related meanings. Primary…
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diapositive vs dispositif
Diapositive and dispositif look alike and share a distant Latin root, but they mean completely different things. Diapositive refers to a slide, in the photographic sense or in the sense of a slide in a presentation. Dispositif refers to a…
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il pleut bergère
The French saying “il pleut bergère” is actually the first line of a well-known traditional French song, “Il pleut, il pleut, bergère” (It’s raining, it’s raining, shepherdess). While it simply translates to “it’s raining, shepherdess,” the song itself has a…
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sortir vs s’en sortir
The French verb sortir means “to go out” or “to come out” in a physical sense. The pronominal verb s’en sortir means “to manage,” “to cope,” or “to get through” a difficult situation. The difference is not just grammatical; it…
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Je n’ai pas la voix au chapitre
The French phrase je n’ai pas la voix au chapitre means, in its literal sense, “I do not have the voice at the chapter.” Figuratively, it means “I do not have a say in the matter,” “I have no voice…
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d’ici à ce que
The French phrase d’ici à ce que means “until” or “by the time that.” It introduces a subordinate clause that describes a future event or state. The action in the main clause happens before that future event occurs, or continues…
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pour peu que
The French expression pour peu que introduces a condition. It means that even a small amount, or a slight possibility, is enough for something else to happen. It is usually translated as “if,” “provided that,” “as long as,” or “if…
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Ça, par exemple !
Ça, par exemple ! is a fixed exclamation used to express surprise, sometimes with a touch of indignation or disbelief mixed in. It is a phrase rather than a single word, and its meaning has drifted well away from what…
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Ça alors !
Ça alors ! is a common French exclamation used to express surprise. It can range from pleasant astonishment to mild shock, and the exact feeling behind it depends heavily on tone of voice and context. Meaning Word for word, ça…
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Latin place names in France
Many French cities and regions have names that come directly from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. When the Romans conquered Gaul, they founded new towns, renamed existing ones, and recorded these names in their documents and on their…
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laisser vs lasser
Laisser and lasser are two regular French verbs that look and sound almost identical, but they mean completely different things. Laisser means “to let,” “to leave,” or “to allow.” Lasser means “to tire” or “to weary.” The only difference in…
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de la sorte
De la sorte is a French adverbial phrase meaning “in this way,” “in that way,” “thus,” or “in such a manner.” It is used to refer to a manner, method or situation that has just been mentioned or that is…
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when é means ex
The French prefix é- sometimes comes from Latin ex-, meaning “out of”, “away from” or “from”. In these words, é- can express separation, removal, extraction or movement away from something. It can also have related meanings such as completion or…
