Intermediate French Vocabulary
Lessons and resources for intermediate-level French vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, true cognates, false cognates, and more.
French Dictionaries
Links to dozens of online dictionaries.
An vs Année, Jour vs Journée...
There are two words in French for year, day, evening, and morning. Learn the difference!
All about Any - French translations for the English word any
The English word "any" has numerous French translations, depending on what it means and whether it is used as an adjective, pronoun, or adverb.
Approximate French Numbers
When you want to make an estimate or take a guess, you can use approximate French numbers, like dizaine, douzaine, vingtaine, and more.
Bon vs Bien, Mauvais vs Mal
The French words bon and bien, mauvais and mal are often mixed up - study this lesson to straighten them out.
C'est vs Il est
The French expressions c'est and il est are very similar in meaning. They are both used in impersonal expressions as well as for general comments, but they are not interchangeable. Learn the difference between c'est and il est and then take the test.
All about Comme
The French word comme can be a conjunction, adverb, or part of an adverbial phrase and is one of the most common French words.
All About Comment
The French adverb comment can interrogative or exclamative and is one of the most common French words. Learn how to use comment to mean "how" and "what," and which uses of "how" in English are not translated by "comment" in French.
Countries ~ Pays du monde
A list of the countries of the world in French and English.
Depuis vs Il y a
The French temporal expressions depuis and il y a have distinctly different meanings and uses, yet they commonly present difficulties for French students. Here is a detailed explanation and comparison of depuis and il y a to help you clearly understand the difference once and for all.
False Cognates ~ Faux amis
Words which are spelled/pronounced similarly in French and English don't always mean the same thing. Learn to recognize hundreds of false cognates.
Free - French Lesson
The English word free can be an adjective, adverb, verb, or noun and has a number of different meanings, which can make it difficult to translate free into French. Take a look at this lesson on how to say free in French.
French Temporal Words and Phrases
Talking about time requires a fair amount of vocabulary. Here are dozens of French words and expressions related to time, including periods of time, points in time, relative time, and frequency.
French Vocabulary in English
English has borrowed many words and expressions from French. Some have been completely absorbed into English, while others have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi. Study this list of French terms commonly used in English.
To Make - Learn how to translate "to make" into French
To make is a very general, very useful verb in English. Its French translations vary wildly, so take a look at this lesson to learn how to translate various meanings of "make" into French.
To Meet in French
Learn the difference between all of the French verbs that mean to meet: faire la connaissance de - rencontrer - se réunir - retrouver - rejoindre
Même
The extremely versatile and useful French word même can be an indefinite adjective, indefinite pronoun, or adverb, and is also used in some expressions. Même has various meanings depending on where and how it is used.
Mot du Jour - French Word of the Day
Learn a new word intermediate- to advanced-level French word online every weekday.
N'importe... - Indefinite Expressions
The indefinite expression n'importe can be followed by an interrogative in order to designate an unspecified person, thing, or characteristic: n'importe qui, n'importe quel, n'importe où.... Learn these expressions and more with this lesson.
No in French
Saying no is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say no, not a chance, I don't think so, and more.
Number Terms
There are quite a few confusing pairs and difficult expressions related to numbers in French: second/deuxième, en premier/au premier/de premier, tiers/troisième....
Only - Not only - Ne... que, Seulement, and their negatives
There are two common French equivalents for the restrictive "only" in English: seulement and ne... que. These two terms mean essentially the same thing, but seulement is an adverb of quantity while ne... que is a negative adverb, so they're used a bit differently.
Parce que, Car, Puisque, Comme
The French conjunctions parce que, car, puisque, and comme are commonly used to draw conclusions or otherwise relate a cause or explanation with a result or conclusion. These conjunctions have similar but not identical meanings and uses - this lesson explains the difference.
Plus
The French word plus can be used as an adverb or in a number of different expressions. Plus, it can be pronounced in three different ways. Learn everything you need to know about the meaning, pronunciation, and usage of plus right here.
All about Que
The French word que, which contracts to qu' in front of a vowel or mute h, has numerous uses and meanings. This lesson includes links to detailed information on each use of que.
Quelque
Quelque is an indefinite adjective and adverb that is found in numerous indefinite terms and expressions.
Tel, Telle, Tels, Telles
The French word tel can be a qualifying adjective, an indefinite adjective, or an indefinite pronoun, and is also used in a number of expressions and conjunctions, making it an extremely versatile and useful French word.
Tout, Tous, Toute, Toutes
The French word tout can be a noun, pronoun, adjective, or adverb, and can take four different forms. Learn all you need to know about tout, one of the most flexible words in the French language.
Visit, To Visit, Visitor
All of this visiting vocabulary has several French equivalents. Une visite vs un séjour; rendre visite vs visiter vs aller voir - these and more are thoroughly explained and dissected in this lesson.
Vrais Amis
The 1,700 words on these pages are spelled (although not pronounced) identically in French and English and are true or semi-true cognates. Take a look at this list to discover just how much vocabulary is shared between French and English.
"What" in French
French learners often have trouble deciding how to translate "what" into French. Should it be que or quoi, or maybe that pesky quel? Understanding the difference between these terms is critical to knowing how to use them correctly.
Yes in French
