roman

ByFast French

What does the French word “roman” mean? Is it someone from Ancient Rome? Is it someone who lives in modern Rome? It’s neither – “roman” is the masculine noun meaning “novel” or “fiction” or “books.”

“Le roman” also means “The Romanesque” period of architecture, from the 11th and 12th centuries AD. It can also refer to the “Romance” language that came from popular Latin and preceded French.

You may have come across a feminine French noun, “une nouvelle.” “Une nouvelle” can mean either “a piece of news” or “a short story.” So “un roman” is a novel and “une nouvelle” is a short story. Both are false friends, meaning they are French words that look like English words, but have different meanings from the English words they resemble.

How do you talk about someone from Rome, either ancient or modern? That man is “un romain,” or in the case of a woman, “une romaine.”

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • exiger

    ByFast French

    The French verb “exiger” means “to demand,” “to require,” or “to insist upon.” It comes from the Latin verb “exigere,” which means “to drive out” or “to demand.” Examples: Conjugation Présent j’exigetu exigesil exigenous exigeonsvous exigezils exigent Passé composé j’ai exigétu as exigéil a exigénous avons exigévous avez exigéils ont exigé

  • verb: fondre

    ByFast French

    The French verb “fondre” means “to melt,” along with a host of other meanings. It’s a useful verb to know if you’re heading into summer temperatures. “Fondre” can mean “to melt,” “to melt down,” “to thaw,” “to thaw out,” “to cast,” “to dissolve,” “to melt away,” “to waste away,” “to soften,” or when used reflexively,…

  • | |

    Devant

    ByFast French

    The French word “devant” can be used as a preposition, as an adverb, or as a noun. Preposition As a preposition, “devant” means “in front of,” “ahead of” or “before.” Adverb As an adverb, “devant” means “in front,” “at the front,” or “ahead.” Noun As a masculine noun, “le devant” means “the front.”

  • Verb: réussir

    ByFast French

    The French verb “réussir” means “to succeed,” but it can also mean “to achieve,” “to carry off (something) successfully,” “to win,” or “to pass (an exam).” Etymology: The word “réussir” was borrowed in the early 16th century from the Italian verb “riuscire,” meaning “to re-issue” or “to go out again.” The Italian “riuscire,” is made up…

  • détendre

    ByFast French

    The French Verb “Détendre”: Unraveling Layers of Relaxation The French verb “détendre” means “to relax,” “to loosen,” “to untighten,” “to release” or even “to entertain.” It also has a reflexive version, “se détendre,” which also means “to relax” or “to slacken.” Etymology:“Détendre” comes from the Latin words, “de” (down from) and “tendere” (to stretch). Usage:…

  • mettre en boîte

    ByFast French

    The French idiom “mettre en boîte” means literally “to put in a can” or “to can.” Figuratively however it means “to make fun of someone,” “to annoy,” “to tease,” or “to kid.” The saying dates back to the end of the 19th century, when “to can” meant “to mock” or “to whistle disapprovingly at.” The…