French phrases Flashcards
academic phrases
1
Q
plutôt que
A
rather than, instead of
2
Q
tandis que
A
while
3
Q
ç’est à dire
A
that is to say
4
Q
quoi que ce soit
A
anything at all
5
Q
en ce qui concerne ceci
A
as far as this is concerned/with regard to this
6
Q
se + verb
A
reflexive!
7
Q
il s’agit de
A
it’s a matter of/it’s a question of (agir=to act)
8
Q
s’avérer
A
to prove to be (example: ce qui s’avérer être un dure tâche=that which proves to be a hard task)
9
Q
il s’ensuit que
A
it follows that (suivre=to follow)
10
Q
š’aperçoit que
A
to notice that
11
Q
s’appliquer à
A
to apply to
12
Q
s’appuyer sur
A
to lean on
13
Q
outre
A
as well as, in addition to, apart from
14
Q
Au, à la, à l’ and aux
A
to the/at the. Aux is the contraction.
15
Q
demander
A
ask, pose a question
16
Q
car
A
because, for (formal literary)
17
Q
selon
A
according to
18
Q
il n’y a aucune
A
there is none
19
Q
c’est-à-dire
A
that is to say
20
Q
mais alors
A
but then
21
Q
dira-t-on,
A
we will say
22
Q
ainsi
A
in this way
23
Q
En ce qui concerne
A
regarding
24
Q
on s’efforcera d’établir
A
we will endeavor to establish
25
ne...que
only/nothing but
26
au défaut de
in the absence of/for lack of
27
chez lui
at home within him/in him
28
on
an informal way of saying "we" in writing (not often or properly used), usually one
29
tout le monde
everyone
30
il faut
it's necessary ...
31
où elle le doit
where it must
32
pour le lui faire ainsi connaître
to make it known to him
33
jusque dans
until in
34
lequel avoue
who confesses
35
autrement dit
in other words
36
de ce fait
for this reason
37
apres de
according to
38
ni...ni
neither nor
39
jusqu’à ce que
Until
40
À maintes reprises
Many times
41
Nous tous
All of us
42
Nous tous
All of us
43
à l’aide
Using
44
à l’aide
Using
45
Jamais
Never
46
Tout comme
Just as
47
C’est à la fois
This is both
48
Fois
In a phrase often means both
49
se rapporte également
Also relates
50
Et pas
And not
51
Et pas
And not
52
en valent bien la peine.
Are well worth it
53
de
partitive before definite article (some, any)
can be d' if the word following begins with a vowel. Plural is des.
54
plusieurs d'entre eux
several of them
55
quelques-uns d'entre nous
some of us
56
ci-joint
attached
56
même
even, same, itself, very
after a noun or a pronoun, même means very even, himself, etc. When même follows a pronoun, it is connected with a hyphen. Before a noun and preceded by the article, it means same.
57
bon/mauvais and bien/mal
well/bad: bon and mauvais modify nouns whereas the adverbs bien and mal modify verbs
58
aussi and si
in negative sentences aussi can become si (as). Autaunt de also means as when followed by a noun
59
ne
a clause depending on the comparative uses ne before subordinate verb. The ne doesn't make the verb negative (il est plus intelligent qu vous ne le pensez; elle est plus intelligente qu'elle n'en a l'air=he is more intelligent than you think; she is more intelligent than she appears)
60
le plus intelligent
the most intelligent. The superlative is formed by adding the definite article to the comparative form
61
plus petit and le plus petit
used with things you can measure (smaller)
62
moindre and le moindre
used in an abstract sense (je n'ai pas la moindre idee=i dont have the slightest idea)
63
davantage
comparison of superiority, usually placed at the end of a sentence (cette femme est tres intelligente mais sa fille l'est davantage=this woman is very intelligent but her daughter is even more so)
64
plus...plus; moins....moins; plus...moins; de plus en plus; de moins en moins; de mieux en mieux
the more...the more; the less...the less; the more...the less; more and more; less and less; better and better
65
d'autant plus que
all the more ....as, because
66
tant mieux
tan pis
de mal en pis
so much the better
so much the worse
from bad to worse
67
tout le monde
everyone
68
a lui or a elle
his or her, to avoid ambiguity for gender sometimes added to a phrase
69
-ci, -la
this, that. Used as suffixes to specify (Je veux ce livre-ci; Je ne veux pas ce livre-la=i want this book; I don't want that book)
70
nous autres
as for us
71
aucun
aucun...ne
no
any, a single, one single
72
quelque
some, can also mean about as an adverb when it's used before a number. Can also mean whatever or however (when before a descriptive adjective)
73
je ne said quel/on ne sait quel/Dieu sait quel
I don't know, one doesn't know, God only knows (used in phrases to indicate approximate resemblance. Similar to certain. Elle a je ne sais quelles idees=she has some ideas or others)
74
tel est (telles est)
such is (tel can also means like, as). In expressions containing an adjective, we use si instead of tel (avez-vous jamais vu une si belle peinture=have you ever seen such a beautiful painting)
75
tout
each, every, the whole, the entire. When singular without an article it means each or every. When followed by an article or possessive adjective, it means whole/entire. Tout as a pronoun means everything. Before a feminine word beginning with a vowel or silent h it can mean altogether.
76
Fois
Time
77
aucun(e)
ne
nul(le)
ne
ne....aucun(e)
Il n'y a
no
there is no
78
à cause de
because
79
à côté de
beside
80
afin de
in order to
81
à force de
by means of
82
à la mode de
in the manner of
83
à l'exception de
except
84
à l'exclusion de
to the exclusion of
85
à moins de
unless
86
à raison de
at the rate of
87
à travers
through
88
au dedans
inside, within
89
au dehors de
outside of
90
au-delà de
above, beyond, past
91
au-dessous de
below
92
au-dessus de
above
93
au lieu de
instead of
94
au milieu de
in the middle of
95
aupres de
near
96
autour de
around
97
aux environs de
in the vicinity of
98
d'apres
according to
99
de facon a
so as to
100
de maniere a
so as to
101
en bas de
at the bottom of
102
en dedans de
inside, on the inside of, within
103
en dehors de
outside of
104
en dèpit de
in spite of
105
en face de
in front of, facing
106
en haut de
at the top of
107
en raison de
because of
108
hors de
outside of
109
jusque dans
up into
110
loin de
far from
111
par dedans
inside, through the inside
112
par dehors
by the outside
113
par dela
beyond
114
par-dessous
under
115
par-dessus
over, above, on top of
116
par devant
before, in front
117
par rapport a
with regard to, in relation to
118
près de
near
119
proche de
near
120
Il est en train
He's getting (etre en train de=getting, duration of an action)
121
Despuis
can mean for or since
122
venir de
present tense of venir de plus infinitive is used to describe something that has just happened recently. It means to have just done something
123
si...que
quelque
de quelque maniere que
however
124
soit que...soit que
whether
125
ou bien...ou bien
either...or
126
faire in causative construction
subject causes action to be done by someone or something else. You can recognize by seeing an infinitive after faire.
127
à qui
de qui
whose (ownership)
whose (relationship)
128
