10/14-10/15 french vocab quiz

Sortir avec qqn

To date someone / be in a relationship with someone. Ex. Elle sort avec Paul. Can also mean to go out socially: Je sors avec des amis ce soir = I’m going out with friends tonight.

Égarer qqch

To lose or misplace something. Synonym: perdre. Ex. J’ai égaré mes clés = I misplaced my keys.

S’égarer

To get lost / lose one’s way. Reflexive form of égarer. Ex. Il s’égare dans une ville inconnue = He gets lost in an unfamiliar city.

Tenter de + infinitif

To try to do something. Synonym: essayer de. Ex. Elle tente de comprendre = She tries to understand. Keep de before the infinitive.

Tenter qqch

To attempt something / give something a try. Ex. Il tente sa chance = He tries his luck.

Aborder qqn

To approach someone, usually to speak to them. Ex. J’aborde cette personne pour lui parler = I approach this person to speak to them. No preposition before the person.

Aborder un sujet

To bring up / discuss / tackle a topic. Ex. Nous allons aborder ce sujet au prochain cours = We will discuss this topic next class.

Tromper qqn

To cheat on someone / be unfaithful to someone. Ex. Elle trompe son partenaire. Can also mean to deceive someone. For romantic infidelity, use tromper, not tricher; tricher means to cheat in a game or on a test.

Tisser un lien / des liens

To build or forge a connection / relationship. Synonyms: créer des liens, nouer des liens. Ex. Ils tissent des liens d’amitié. Literally, tisser means to weave, as with a carpet or fabric.

Des liens se tissent

Connections / relationships form or develop. Pronominal construction. Ex. Des liens se tissent entre eux = Bonds develop between them.

Dépasser qqn

To be beyond someone’s understanding. Ex. Ce problème les dépasse = This problem is beyond them / They cannot understand it. Other meanings include to exceed, surpass, or overtake.

Être dépassé(e) par qqch

To feel overwhelmed or out of one’s depth because of something. Ex. Elle est dépassée par la situation = She is overwhelmed by the situation. Agree dépassé with the subject.

Câliner qqn

To cuddle someone / show physical affection to someone. Ex. Le père de Fatima ne câline pas ses enfants = Fatima’s father does not cuddle his children.

Manquer à qqn

To be missed by someone. Tu me manques = I miss you; Je te manque = You miss me. The person being missed is the subject; the person who feels the absence is the indirect object.

Il manque + nom

Something or someone is missing. Impersonal construction: Il manque deux étudiants = Two students are missing. The verb stays singular because its grammatical subject is il.

Il manque qqch à qqn

Someone lacks something. Ex. Il lui manque le courage de parler = He/She lacks the courage to speak. Lui identifies the person who lacks something.

Virer qqn (familier)

To fire / dismiss / kick someone out. More neutral synonym: renvoyer qqn. Ex. Le patron l’a viré = The boss fired him. Informal expression.

Se faire virer (familier)

To get fired / expelled / kicked out. More neutral: se faire renvoyer. Ex. Il s’est fait virer de son travail = He got fired from his job.

S’habiller

To get dressed / dress in a particular way. Reflexive verb: je m’habille, elle s’habille. Ex. Comment s’habille-t-on pour cette soirée ? = How should one dress for this party?

S’habiller chic

To dress smartly / elegantly. Ex. Il faut s’habiller chic = You need to dress smartly. Chic functions adverbially here and stays unchanged.

Être censé(e) + infinitif

To be supposed / expected to do something. Ex. Elle est censée venir = She is supposed to come. Agree censé with the subject: censé, censée, censés, censées. Do not confuse censé with sensé = sensible.

Compter

To matter / have importance. Ex. Seuls les actes comptent = Only actions matter. Can also mean to count; compter sur qqn means to count on someone.

La mosquée

A mosque; a Muslim place of worship. Feminine noun: une mosquée.

De plus en plus

More and more / increasingly. Ex. Elle est de plus en plus indépendante. Before a noun: de plus en plus de + noun, as in de plus en plus de personnes.

De moins en moins

Less and less / decreasingly. Opposite of de plus en plus. Ex. Il parle de moins en moins. Before a noun: de moins en moins de temps = less and less time.

Tantôt… tantôt…

Sometimes… sometimes… / now… now…; expresses alternation. Ex. Elle est tantôt heureuse, tantôt triste = She is sometimes happy, sometimes sad.

Percutant(e)

Striking / powerful / hard-hitting; makes a strong impression and captures attention. Ex. Un exposé percutant = A powerful presentation; une remarque percutante = A striking remark.

Le témoignage

Testimony / an account of what someone has seen or experienced. Used in court trials and for personal experiences. Ex. Son témoignage est émouvant = His/Her account is moving. Un procès = a trial.

Pratiquant(e)

Observant / practicing, in a religious sense; follows the rites of a religion. Ex. Une musulmane pratiquante = A practicing Muslim woman. Being religious or believing does not necessarily mean being pratiquant.

Un lien

A bond / tie / connection. Prefer lien to connexion when describing human relationships. Ex. Nous allons créer des liens dans cette université = We will build relationships at this university.

Un câlin

A hug / cuddle. Masculine noun. Faire un câlin à qqn = to give someone a hug; faire des câlins à qqn = to cuddle someone. Ex. Elle fait un câlin à son frère.