French offers multiple ways to express the concept of “first,” each suited to different contexts. The choice depends on whether you’re describing ordinal position, temporal priority, or organizing arguments in discourse. Premier and première: the ordinal adjective Premier (masculine) and première (feminine) function as adjectives meaning “first” in sequential or hierarchical ordering. They agree in…
Inouï is a French adjective meaning “extraordinary,” “unheard of,” or “unbelievable.” It expresses strong amazement, usually positive but sometimes negative. It applies to events, experiences, abilities, behaviours, and situations that exceed normal expectations. The word is common in both spoken and written French, including journalism, literature, and everyday conversation. Meaning Literally, inouï means “unheard of,”…
The English exclamation “Great!” can express approval, satisfaction, enthusiasm, or irony, depending on tone and context. French has many possible equivalents, each suited to a particular level of enthusiasm, formality, or regional habit. 1. Super ! This is one of the most common translations. It expresses genuine enthusiasm or approval in casual speech, similar to…
The French adjectives froid (cold) and chaud (hot, warm) can be combined with the verbs être, avoir, or faire. The correct choice depends on what or who is being described. Using the wrong verb can result in sentences that sound strange, confusing, or unintentionally suggestive. 1. Avoir froid / avoir chaud: how a person feels…
The French adjective nouveau (new) and its variations (nouvelle, nouvel, nouveaux, nouvelles) can appear either before or after the noun. The position changes the meaning. When placed before the noun, it refers to a new instance or a different version of something already known. When placed after the noun, it emphasizes that the thing is…
The English adjective “clean” has several possible meanings. In French, different adjectives are used depending on the context. The most common are “propre,” “net,” “pur,” and “nettoyer” used adjectivally in participle form. Propre “Propre” is the most common translation of “clean.” It is used for physical cleanliness, such as a clean room, clothes, or hands….
Most French learners know that adjectives normally agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For colours, that means changing the ending: But there’s a twist. Sometimes, even if the noun is feminine or plural, the colour adjective stays in its masculine singular form. When colours are invariable: compound adjectives When a colour…
The English word “unlikely” can be translated into French in several ways, depending on context. The most common options are peu probable, improbable, and hasardeux, each with distinct nuances. Other alternatives include invraisemblable and douteux. Peu probable Meaning: Literally “little probable,” this is the most neutral and commonly used translation for “unlikely.” It expresses a…
The English word “half” can be translated into French in several different ways depending on context. French does not use a single equivalent word for all situations. The most common translations include demi, moitié, mi- as a prefix, and partie in some contexts. Demi The word demi is often used as an adjective placed before…
The French word même is versatile and appears in several useful expressions. Here are some key phrases, their meanings, and examples of how to use them. Même (even, same) Used alone, même can mean “even” or “same.” Stress pronouns with même (myself, yourself, etc.) The construction [stress pronoun] + même means “myself,” “yourself,” etc., and…