Most Common Words Flashcards
de
de | preposition | 1. of, from, by, than, in, with. 2. It can also be used to link two nouns together, indicating possession, or a characteristic of someone or something. | 1. Je reviens de New York. (I am coming back from New York.) 2. Le chien de Marie. (Marie’s dog.) 3. Une tasse de café. (A cup of coffee.)
que
que | conjunction, relative pronoun | 1. that, 2. which, 3. who, 4. whom | “Je pense que tu as raison.” (I think that you are right.), “La personne que je vois souvent.” (The person who I often see.), “Le livre que j’ai lu.” (The book that I read.)
à
à | preposition | 1. to, at, in (indicating direction, location, or time) 2. of (in certain expressions) 3. by (used before an infinitive) |
Examples:
1. Je vais à Paris. (I’m going to Paris.)
2. Nous sommes à la maison. (We’re at home.)
3. Il est à l’école. (He is in school.)
4. C’est la voiture à Jean. (It’s Jean’s car.)
5. J’apprends à lire. (I’m learning to read.)
qui
qui | pronoun | 1. who, that (used in referring to a person previously mentioned) 2. which, that (referring to a thing or animal previously mentioned) |Examples:
- La femme qui parle est mon professeur. (The woman who is speaking is my teacher.)
- Le livre qui est sur la table est à moi. (The book that is on the table is mine.)
qu’
qu’ | contraction | it’s a contraction of “que” in French, commonly used before a vowel or an h; it can be used in different contexts and can mean “that”, “what”, “whom”, “which”, “than” | Examples:
- Ce qu’elle veut (What she wants)
- Plus facile qu’il pense (Easier than he thinks)
- L’homme qu’elle aime (The man whom she loves)
du
du | preposition/article | ‘of the’, ‘from the’, or ‘some’; used as a masculine singular article formed from “de + le” | Examples: “Du matin jusqu’au soir” (From morning to evening). “Du pain” (Some bread). “Le nom du père” (The name of the father).
des
Des | Article | It is a French indefinite article and it implies a plural quantity. In English, it is equivalent to ‘some’ or ‘any’. Also, it’s used before a noun in plural form with an unspecified quantity. | Examples: Des pommes - Some apples, Des livres - Some books, J’ai des amis - I have some friends.
d’
d’ | Preposition | The French preposition ‘d’ is a contraction of ‘de’, which can mean ‘of’, ‘from’, ‘by’, or ‘about’, depending on the context. It is used before a word beginning with a vowel or a mute h. | Examples: d’amour (of love), d’homme (of man), d’ici (from here)
en
en | preposition | 1. in, on, at (indicating place or position); 2. while, during, by (indicating an action happening at the same time as another action); 3. as, for (indicating an action’s purpose or function) |
Examples:
1. Nous habitons en France. (We live in France.)
2. En marchant, j’ai rencontré un ami. (While walking, I met a friend.)
3. J’ai acheté un cadeau en souvenir de Paris. (I bought a gift as a souvenir from Paris.)
Additionally, “en” can also be a pronoun used in replacement of a quantity, it translates to “some,” “of them,” or “about them.”
Example:
1. Il y a des pommes? Oui, j’en ai acheté. (Are there apples? Yes, I bought some.)
pour
Pour | Preposition | 1. For (intended to be given to) 2. To (used to express destination or direction) 3. Around/about (in expressions of time) | Examples: 1. J’ai un cadeau pour toi (I have a gift for you). 2. Je pars pour Paris (I am leaving for Paris). 3. Je vais au marché pour huit heures (I’m going to the market for eight o’clock/about eight o’clock).
ce
ce | demonstrative pronoun | this or it when referring to a masculine singular noun; it is used to point out a particular referenced item. |
Examples:
1. Ce livre. (This book.)
2. Ce est mon ami. (This is my friend.)
3. Je lis ce. (I read this.)
4. Ce chat est noir. (This cat is black.)
Note: “ce” can be followed by “est” (is) or “sont” (are) to form “c’est” or “ce sont” respectively. This is usually used when pointing out or introducing something or someone. For instance, “C’est mon amie” (This is my friend).
peuple
peuple | noun | 1. the people or citizens of a country or community considered collectively 2. a group of people sharing the same culture, history, language, etc. | Examples: ‘Le peuple français’ means ‘The French people.’ ‘Les peuples indigènes’ means ‘Indigenous peoples.’
leur
leur | pronoun | 1. Their (used to indicate possession by people or things mentioned previously). 2. Them (used as an indirect object). |
1. Leur maison est grande (Their house is big).
2. Je leur ai donné des bonbons (I gave them some candies).
voici
Voici | Preposition | It translates to “here is” or “here are” in English. It’s used to present, introduce, or point to something or someone. | Examples: ‘Voici mon ami’ (Here is my friend), ‘Voici le livre que tu cherches’ (Here is the book you are looking for)
c’
c’ | pronoun | it is a contracted form of ‘ce’ often referring to ‘this’ or ‘it’ when used immediately before a verb starting with a vowel or silent ‘h’. | Examples: C’est la vie (That’s life), C’etait un bon film (That was a good movie), C’est important (It’s important)
au
au | preposition | at the, to the, in the | Example 1: J’habite au Canada - I live in Canada. Example 2: Je vais au cinéma - I’m going to the cinema.
arriva
“arriva” is not a standalone word in the French language. However, it could be an incorrectly spelled or a misconstrued form of “arrive”, which is the present tense of the verb “arriver”. Here is the correct description for “arrive”:
arrive | verb | to reach a place, especially at the end of a journey | Examples: “Nous arrivons à Paris ce soir.” (We are arriving in Paris this evening.), “Il arrive à la maison.” (He is arriving at home.)
par
par | preposition | 1. By (indicating the means, manner, authorship, or instrumentality of an action). 2. Per (indicating the rate or proportion of a quantity) 3. Through or via (indicating the route or trajectory of an action). |
Examples:
1. “Cette lettre a été écrite par mon frère.” (This letter was written by my brother.)
2. “Il a gagné par dix votes” (He won by ten votes.)
3. “Je suis passé par la boulangerie pour acheter du pain.” (I went through the bakery to buy some bread.)
était
était | verb | Was (past form of “être” - to be) | Examples: Elle était à Paris la semaine dernière (She was in Paris last week). Le magasin était fermé quand je suis arrivé (The shop was closed when I arrived).
leurs
Leurs | Pronoun | English Definition: 1) Theirs, 2) Their (when followed by plural noun) | Examples: 1) Le livre est le leur (The book is theirs), 2) Ce sont leurs livres (These are their books)
se
se | reflexive pronoun | 1. Himself, herself, itself, themselves when the subject and the object of the verb are the same. 2. Each other, one another when the action is mutual between subjects. | 1. Il se regarde dans le miroir (He is looking at himself in the mirror). 2. Ils se parlent (They are talking to each other).
son
son | possessive adjective | his, her, its | Examples:
1. C’est son livre = This is his book/her book/its book.
2. Son chien est gentil = His dog is nice/ Her dog is nice/ Its dog is nice.
s’
s’ | Reflexive Pronoun | S’ is a reflexive pronoun used in French referring back to the subject in the sentence. It is generally used before a verb to indicate that the subject is performing the action to itself. It may translate to ‘oneself’, ‘himself’, ‘herself’, or ‘itself’ in English, depending on the context. | Example: “Il s’appelle Jean” translates to “He calls himself Jean” or “His name is Jean.” Another example: “Elle s’habille” translates to “She dresses herself”.
lui
Lui | Pronoun |
- Him/Her: It is a third person singular indirect object pronoun that can be used for both male and female nouns. It translates to ‘him’ or ‘her’ in English, depending on the context.
Example: Je parle à lui. (I am speaking to him / her.)
- To Him/To Her: It can also be used as a disjunctive pronoun to mean ‘to him’ or ‘to her’ when referring to a previously mentioned person.
Example: Je lui donne le livre. (I give the book to him / her.)
ses
ses | possessive pronoun | his, her, its, their (referring to multiple objects belonging to a singular person or to it) | Examples: Il a perdu ses clés (He lost his keys), Elle aime ses cœurs (She loves her hearts)
étaient
étaient | verb | Were, Being (past form of the verb “être”, which means to be) |
Examples:
1. Ils étaient à la maison hier. - They were at home yesterday.
2. Les chaussures étaient dans la boîte. - The shoes were in the box.
3. Elles étaient très heureuses. - They (feminine) were very happy.
été
été | noun | 1. Summer (the warmest season of the year) | Examples: “J’adore l’été” (I love the summer), “L’été dernier était très chaud” (Last summer was very hot)
avait
avait | verb | Avait is the third person singular imperfect tense of “avoir”, which translates to ‘had’. It is typically used to talk about something that someone had in the past. |
Examples:
1) Elle avait une belle maison - She had a beautiful house.
2) Il avait trois chiens - He had three dogs.
ces
ces | demonstrative adjective | these or those in English |
Examples:
1. Ces livres sont intéressants. (These books are interesting)
2. Ces idées ne sont pas bonnes. (Those ideas are not good)
si
si | conjunction, adverb |
- As conjunction, it means “if” or it introduces a condition in a sentence | If you study, you will pass the exam. - “Si tu étudies, tu réussiras à l’examen.”
- As adverb, it means “so” or “such” when used before adjectives or adverbs | The cake is so good! - “Le gâteau est si bon!”
- It can also mean “yes” in response to a negative question | Aren’t you coming? - Yes, I am. - “Tu ne viens pas ? - Si, je viens.”
y
Y | Pronoun | 1. There - used to refer to a place, usually replacing a place introduced by “à”, “chez”, “dans”, etc. 2. It - used to refer to a previously mentioned or implied place.|
Examples:
1. Je vais à Paris. - I’m going to Paris. / J’y vais. - I’m going there.
2. Elle habite en France. - She lives in France. / Elle y habite. - She lives there.
3. Nous pensons au problème. - We think about the problem. / Nous y pensons. - We think about it.
4. Je travaille à l’université. - I work at the university. / J’y travaille. - I work there.
eux
eux | pronoun | “they” when used as a direct object, “them” | Je les ai vus, ils étaient devant moi (I saw them, they were in front of me)
sa
sa | possessive adjective | his, her, its | Examples: Voici sa pomme (Here is his/her/its apple). Sa voiture est rouge (His/Her/Its car is red).
afin
afin | preposition/conjunction | 1. In order to, so as to (when followed by “de”) 2. So that (when followed by “que”) | Examples: “Je travaille afin de gagner de l’argent” (I work in order to earn money); “Elle étudie afin qu’elle puisse réussir son examen” (She studies so that she can pass her exam)
ceux
ceux | pronoun | Meaning “those” or “these” in English, it is used to refer to previously mentioned items, ideas, or people that are male or in the plural form | Examples: “Ceux que tu recherches” (Those you’re looking for), “Ceux sont mes livres préférés” (Those are my favorite books)
plus
Plus | Adverb, Pronoun, Preposition | 1. More (used to indicate addition or a greater quantity) 2. No more, not any longer (when pronounced without the ‘s’ sound) | Examples: 1. J’ai besoin de plus de temps (I need more time). 2. Il n’y a plus de pain (There is no more bread).
comme
comme | conjunction, preposition | as, like, such as | - Comme tu veux (As you wish)
- Il est intelligent comme son père (He is as smart as his father)
- Comme d’habitude (As usual)
- Elle travaille comme avocate (She works as a lawyer)
- Ils mangent du pain comme petit déjeuner (They have bread for breakfast.)
cause
Cause | Noun | 1. Reason or motive for an action or condition 2. Case or lawsuit | 1. Il lit un livre à cause de l’examen demain (He is reading a book because of the exam tomorrow). 2. Elle a gagné sa cause (She won her case).
tous
Tous | Demonstrative Pronoun, Adjective | In English, “tous” translates to “all” or “every”. It’s usually utilized to refer to a group of people or things. As an adjective, “tous” is used before a noun and means “all the”.
Adjective examples:
1. Tous les jours - Every day / All the days.
2. Tous les chiens - All the dogs.
As a pronoun, “tous” can be used to mean “everyone” or “all”, generally referring to a previously specified group.
Pronoun examples:
1. Ils sont tous partis - They have all left.
2. Nous sommes tous là - We are all here.
paroles
Paroles | Noun | 1. Words or speech, especially in context of a song lyrics 2. Promises or vow made by someone | Examples: 1. Les paroles de cette chanson sont très émouvantes. (The words of this song are very moving.) 2. Il a tenu ses paroles. (He kept his promises.)
parmi
parmi | preposition | among, amongst, amid, in | Example: Parmi ces livres, lequel préférez-vous ? (Among these books, which one do you prefer?)
toutes
toutes | pronoun/adjective | 1. all (feminine plural form, used before words beginning with vowels and to refer to groups of female or mixed people or things) 2. every (feminine plural form, used before words beginning with vowels and to refer to groups of female or mixed people or things) | (1) Toutes les femmes sont belles (All women are beautiful). (2) Toutes les lettres sont importantes (All letters are important).
mes
mes | possessive adjective | my in English (used before plural nouns) | Examples: Mes amis (My friends), Mes livres (My books)
ainsi
ainsi | adverb | thus, so, in this/that way | Examples: “Ainsi va la vie” (That’s how life goes); “Il pense ainsi” (He thinks so)
selon
Selon | Preposition | According to, depending on | Selon le professeur, l’examen sera difficile. (According to the teacher, the exam will be difficult.), La décision varie selon la situation. (The decision varies depending on the situation.)
fils
Fils | Noun | Son | Mon fils s’appelle Jean (My son’s name is Jean).
aux
aux | preposition | “to the”, “at the”, “in the”; a combined form of “à” (to, at, in) and “les” (the), used before a plural noun | Examples: Nous allons aux cinéma. (We’re going to the movies.) Ils sont aux États-Unis. (They are in the United States.)
contre
contre | preposition | 1. against, in opposition to 2. towards, about (referring to a specific time) | For example: 1. Il est contre cette idée. (He is against this idea.) 2. Je serai là contre midi. (I’ll be there around noon.)
avaient
avaient | Verb | “Avaient” is the third person plural past form of the verb “avoir” in French, which means “to have”. It is used to denote that they “had” something in the past. | Examples: Ils avaient une belle maison (They had a beautiful house), Elles avaient un chien quand elles étaient petites (They had a dog when they were little).
ont
ont | verb | it is the third person plural form of the French verb “avoir” which means “to have”. It is used when speaking about multiple people or objects. | Examples: “Ils ont deux enfants” (They have two children), “Elles ont une voiture” (They have a car).
terre
Terre | Noun | 1. Earth, as in the physical planet we live on. 2. Land or soil, as in the material from the ground. 3. Ground, as in the surface of the earth. | Examples: 1. Nous vivons sur la Terre. (We live on the Earth.) 2. J’aime l’odeur de la terre après la pluie. (I like the smell of soil after rain.) 3. J’ai trébuché et tombé sur la terre. (I stumbled and fell to the ground.)
cela
Cela | Pronoun | This or It | Examples:
1. Cela est pour toi (This is for you).
2. Je ne peux pas croire cela (I can’t believe this/it).
or
or | conjunction | or | Il faut choisir, c’est le café or le thé (You need to choose, it’s coffee or tea)
or | noun | gold | Elle porte un collier en or (She is wearing a gold necklace)
furent
furent | verb | past plural third person form of the verb “être” (to be) in the simple past tense | Examples: Ils furent très heureux de leur voyage. (They were very happy about their trip.) Les résultats furent annoncés hier. (The results were announced yesterday.)
nos
nos | pronoun | 1) our, ours (plural), used to indicate possession or relation with multiple people or things | Examples: “Nos amis” (Our friends), “Nos maisons” (Our houses)
me
me | pronoun | 1. Me, myself 2. To me, for me | Examples: 1. Il me parle. (He talks to me.) 2. Je me vois dans le miroir. (I see myself in the mirror.)
cette
cette | determiner | this or that (for feminine singular nouns) | Cette femme est ma mère (This woman is my mother), J’aime cette chanson (I like this song).
dis
dis | verb | 1. Second person singular present indicative of dire. Dire translates to “say” or “tell” in English. 2. In an imperative statement, it can translate to “say!” or “tell!” | For example: “Dis-moi ce que tu penses” (Tell me what you think). Another example “Tu dis que tu l’aimes” (You say that you love her).
lorsque
lorsque | conjunction | when, as soon as |
Examples:
1. Lorsque le téléphone a sonné, j’ai répondu. (When the phone rang, I answered.)
2. Elle a commencé à rire lorsque je lui ai raconté l’histoire. (She started laughing when I told her the story.)
fait
fait | noun | 1. Fact, Act, Deed 2. Done, Made (Past participle of “faire” which means “to do” or “to make”) | Examples:
1. “C’est un fait” translates to “It’s a fact”
2. “C’est fait” translates to “It’s done”
jusqu’
jusqu’ | preposition | translates to “until” or “up to” in English |
Examples:
1. J’attendrai jusqu’à demain. (I will wait until tomorrow.)
2. Je travaille jusqu’à cinq heures. (I work up to five o’clock.)
sera
sera | verb | future tense of “être” (to be) in the third person singular | He/she/it will be.
Examples:
1. Il sera là demain. (He will be there tomorrow.)
2. La réponse sera oui. (The answer will be yes.)
fut
fut | verb | This is the third person singular past historic of the French verb “être”, which means “to be”. In English, it can be translated as “was”. | Examples: “Il fut un temps.” (“There was a time.”) “Il fut mon ami.” (“He was my friend.”)
eut
Eut | Verb | This is the third person singular past tense of the French verb “avoir”, which translates to “had” in English. | Il eut un accident hier (He had an accident yesterday); Elle eut une idée brillante (She had a brilliant idea).
pouvoir
pouvoir | verb | 1. to be able to, can 2. to have the right to, may 3. power, authority |
- Je peux venir avec toi. (I can come with you.)
- Vous pouvez entrer maintenant. (You may enter now.)
- Le président a le pouvoir de veto. (The president has the power of veto.)
toute
toute | adverb/adjective | It means “all”, “whole”, “every”, or “entire” when used as an adjective and “quite” or “all” when used as an adverb in English. The exact translation could vary depending on the context. | Examples: toute la journée (all day), toute la pomme (the whole apple), elle est toute seule (she is all alone)
sorte
Sorte | Noun | 1. Kind, type, sort 2. Fate, luck | Examples: 1. Quelle sorte de musique aimes-tu ? (What kind of music do you like?) 2. C’est la sorte de personne qu’elle est. (That’s the sort of person she is.) 3. C’est la vie, c’est la sorte (That’s life, that’s luck).
où
où | conjunction, relative pronoun, or adverb | where, in which, when |
- As a conjunction: Il ne sait pas où il a mis ses clés. (He doesn’t know where he put his keys.)
- As a relative pronoun: La maison où j’habite. (The house where I live.)
- As an adverb: L’année où nous nous sommes rencontrés. (The year when we met.)
devant
devant | preposition | 1. in front of, ahead of, before 2. in the presence of | 1. Elle est devant le cinéma (She is in front of the cinema). 2. Nous sommes devant le juge (We are before the judge).
esprit
Esprit | Noun | 1. Spirit, mind 2. Wit, cleverness | Examples: 1. “Il a un esprit vif.” - “He has a quick mind.” 2. “Elle a un esprit ouvert.” - “She has an open mind.”. 3. “Son esprit d’innovation est impressionnant.” - “His spirit of innovation is impressive.” 4. “Son sens de l’esprit est très apprécié.” - “Her sense of wit is very appreciated.”
