WritingSkills.my.id - There are many foreign words and phrases from other languages, including French , which have been absorbed and integr...
| Common French Foreign Words and Phrases A-Z | |
|---|---|
|
French Word(s) or Phrase(s) |
Meaning(s) in English |
| abattoir | public slaughterhouse |
| à bon marché | at a good bargain; cheap |
| acharnement | ferocity |
| accouchement | lying-in; delivery |
| à deux | for two; between two |
| affaire d'amour | a love affair |
| affaire d'honneur | duel |
| affaire du cœur | an affair of the heart |
| à la bonne heure | in good time; timely |
| à la Française | after the French mode or fashion |
| à la mode | in fashion |
| Allons | Let us go. |
| amende honorable | satisfactory apology; reparation |
| amor patriae | love of one's own country; patriotism |
| amour propre | self-love; vanity |
| ancien régime | ancient order of things |
| à outrance | to the utmost |
| à peu près | nearly |
| à pied | on foot |
| aplomb | perpendicularly |
| à propos de rien | apropos of nothing |
| à toute outrance | to the utmost |
| au bon droit | to the just right |
| au contraire | on the contrary |
| au courant | at the present time |
| au fait | well-instructed; expert |
| au fond | at the bottom; in the main |
| au pis aller | at the worst |
| au reste | as for the rest |
| Au revoir | Adieu till we meet again. |
| avant-coureur | forerunner |
| beau monde | the fashionable world |
| beaux esprits | men of wit; a witty person |
| beaux yeux | beautiful eyes; that is, attractive looks |
| bel esprit | a brilliant mind; a wit |
| bon ami | good friend |
| bon gré, mal gré | willing or unwilling |
| bonhomie | good nature; simplicity |
| bonjour | good day; good morning |
| bonne bouche | a delicate morsel |
| bonne foi | good faith |
| bon mot | clever saying; witty remark |
| bonsoir | good evening |
| bon voyage | good-bye; good luck; pleasant trip |
| c'est-à-dire | that is to say |
| C'en est fait de lui. | It is all over with him. |
| C'est une autre chose. | That is a different thing. |
| chacun à son goût | every one to his taste |
| chateaux en Espagne | castles in Spain; the land of romance; castles in the air |
| chef-d'œuvre | a masterpiece |
| chemin de fer | iron road, i.e. railroad |
| chère amie | a mistress |
| chose jugée | things that is idle to discuss, as already settled |
| conseil d'État | council of state |
| corps diplomatique | a diplomatic body |
| coup de maître | a master-stroke |
| coup d'essai | a first attempt |
| coup d'état | stroke of policy |
| coûte que coûte | cost what it may; at all costs |
| cuisine | a kitchen; cookery; food |
| d'accord | agreed; in tune |
| dehors | without (on the outside); out of |
| de mal en pis | from bad to worse |
| Dieu avec nous. | God with us. |
| Dieu defend le droit. | God defends the right. |
| Dieu vous garde. | God protect you. |
| double entente | double meaning; a play on words |
| eau-de-vie | brandy |
| élève | a pupil; a foster child |
| en arrière | in the rear |
| en attendant | in the meantime |
| en avant | Forward (March!) |
| en fin | at last; finally |
| en plein jour | in broad daylight |
| en règle | in order; according to rule |
| en route | on the way |
| en vérité | in truth; verily |
| Faire sans dire. | Act and say nothing. |
| faire son devoir | to do his duty |
| fait accompli | a thing already done |
| femme de chambre | a chambermaid |
| fille de chambre | a chambermaid |
| fille de joie | a prostitute |
| fille d'honneur | maid of honor |
| garçon | a boy, or waiter |
| garde du corps | a bodyguard |
| gardez bien | take good care |
| Grâce à Dieu | Thanks to God. |
| guerre à mort | war to the death |
| guerre à outrance | war to the utmost |
| homme d'affaires | a man of affairs; a businessman |
| homme d'esprit | a man of talent |
| hors de combat | out of condition to fight |
| hôtel de ville | town hall |
| Je ne sais quoi | I know not what. |
| jeu de mots | a play on words; a pun |
| jeu d'esprit | witticism |
| laissez-aller | unconstraint; free manners or conduct |
| laissez-faire | government abstention from interference with individual action especially in commerce |
| le beau monde | the fashionable world |
| Le plus sage ne le sont pas toujours | The wisest are not always so. |
| Liberté, égalité, fraternité | Liberty, equality, fraternity |
| louis d'or | former French gold coin |
| ma chère | my dear |
| mon ami | my dear friend |
| mot | witty saying |
| n'importe | it matters not; it doesn't matter |
| nom de guerre | a war name; a traveling title, a pseudonym |
| nom de plume | a pen name; an assumed title |
| on-dit | they say; hence, a flying rumour |
| par excellence | by way of eminence |
| parole d’honneur | word of honour |
| peu à peu | little by little |
| pour faire visite | to pay a visit |
| quelque chose | a trifle; something; anything |
| qui vive | 1. Who goes there? 2. on the qui vive (on the alert) |
| raison d'être | what accounts for or justifies or has caused a thing's existence |
| raisonné | logical; arranged systematically, or according to classes or subjects |
| régie | state tobacco monopoly in some countries |
| retroussé | turned up (of nose) |
| revenant | one returned from the dead or exile etc. |
| revue | loosely constructed play or series of scenes or spectacles satirizing current events |
| sans cérémonie | without ceremony |
| sans pareil | without equal |
| sans-souci | free from care |
| toupet | front of false hair |
| tout à l’heure | instantly |
| tout au contraire | quite the contrary |
| tout court | in the simplest form |
| tout de même | precisely the same |
| tout de suite | immediately |
| tout ensemble | the whole taken together |
| trottoir | pavement, sidewalk |
| un fait accompli | an accomplished fact |
| ventre à terre | at utmost speed |
| vis-à-vis | facing; opposite |
| Vive le roi! | Long live the king! |
| voilà | behold; there is, there are |
| vraisemblance | appearance of truth; plausible appearance; verisimilitude |
| wagon-lit | railroad sleeping car |
| xénophobe | xenophobia, hatred of foreigners |
| xylophone | xylophone |
| yacht | yacht (boat for pleasure trips or racing) |
COMMENTS