French-English

 

French nouns and adjectives have two genders, masculine and feminine. Adjectives and articles agree in gender with the nouns they modify. Plurals are formed as in English by adding s, except for words ending in -au or -eu which add x. Adverbs are usually formed from adjectives by adding -ment as in exactement (exactly). Verbs are conjugated in a somewhat complex manner. Generally the infinitive ends in -er -ir -oir or -re. The third person singular present indicative often ends in -t (il peut, he can), while the third person plural ends in -nt (ils peuvent, they can). In the definitions below, adjectives are given in their masculine and feminine forms.

 

a v (he, she, it) has

à prep at, in, to

abrégé, -ée adj shortened, condensed

académie n academy

Acadie n Nova Scotia

actuel, -elle adj present, current

adjacent, -ente adj adjoining, contiguous

aiguille aimantée n compass needle

Allemagne n Germany

alors adv then

Américain, -aine adj American

Amérique n America

ancien, -enne adj ancient, previous

Anglais, -aise adj English

Angleterre n England

année n year

anse n cove

Anvers n Antwerp

appellé, -ée adj called

après prep after

aquatique adj aquatic

archiduché n archduchy

archevesché, archevêché n archbishopric, archdiocese

archipel, archipelague n archipelago

armée n army

arpent n land measure of about an acre

Asie n asia

assujetti, -ie adj attached, subject

au at the, in the, to the, contraction of à le

augmenté, -ée adj enlarged, augmented

auspices n patronage

aujourd'hui adv today

aussi adv also, likewise

auteur n author

autres adj other

autrefois adv formerly

Autriche n Austria

Autrichien, -ienne adj Austrian

aux at the, in the, to the, contraction of à les

avec prep with

baie, baye n bay

banc n bank

bas, basse adj low

blanc, blanche adj white, empty

Bohême n Bohemia

bois n forest

bouche n mouth

bourg n borough, market town

boussole n compass

Brésil n Brazil

Bretagne n Brittany

Britannique adj British

campement n encampment

canal n channel, canal

cap n cape, headland

capitaine n captain

carénage n careenage

carte n map

Catalogne n Catalonia

catholique adj catholic

ce pron this, that

ceci pron this

cela pron that

célèbre adj celebrated

celles pron these, those

celui, celle pron this, that

cent card num hundred

cet, cette pron this, that

cercle n circle

ces adj these

ceux pron these, those

chemin n path, track, route

chez prep at the place of

Chine n China

chinois, -oise adj Chinese

chrétien, -enne adj Christian

cinq card num five

cinquième ord num fifth

circonvoisin, -e adj surrounding

cité n city

Cochinchine n Cochin China

colonie n colony

comme conj, adv like, as

composé, -ée adj composed, constituted

comprenant pres part comprising, covering

comprend v comprises, includes, covers

compris past part comprised, included

comte n count

comté, comtez n county

confins n confines, borders

connaissance n understanding, knowledge

connu, -ue adj known

contenant pres part containing

contre prep against

copié, -ée adj copied

Corée n Korea

corrigé ée adj corrected

cosmographe n cosmographer

cosmographie n cosmography

cosmographique adj cosmographic

côte, coste n coast

couronne n crown

cours n course

croquis n sketch

curieux, -euse adj curious, strange

dans prep in

dauphin, -ine n prince(ss)

de prep of

débouquement n where a river or strait disembogues, or enters, the sea

déclinaisons n magnetic variations

découverte n discovery

décrit, -te past part described

dédié, -ée adj dedicated, inscribed

degré n degree

dépost, dépôt n depository

depuis prep from

dernier, -ère adj past, latest

des of the, contraction of de les

description n description

dessinateur n draftsman

dessiné, -ée adj drawn, laid out, designed

dessus prep upon

destroit, détroit n straits

détaillé, -ée adj detailed, itemized

deux card num two

deuxième ord num second

devant prep before

dire v to say

distinctement adv distinctly

distingué, -ée adj distinguished

divers adj diverse, different, varying

divisé, -ée adj divided

dix card num ten

dixième ord num tenth

Dominique n Dominica

dont rel pron of which

douze adj twelve

douze card num twelve

douzième ord num twelfth

dressé, -ée adj drawn, laid down

du of the, contraction of de le

duc n duke

duché, duchez n duchy

echelle n scale

Écosse n Scotland

église n church

électorat, eslectorat n electorate

elle pron it, she

elles pron they

embouchure n river mouth

empereur n emperor

empire n empire

en prep in, at, to

encore adv again, more

entier, -ère adj entire

entre prep between

environs n environs

équateur n equator

Escosse n Scotland

Espagne n Spain

espagnol, -ole adj Spanish

Espagnols n the Spanish

Espérance, Cap de Bonne n Cape of Good Hope

esquisse n sketch

essai, essay n trial, first attempt

est n east

est v (he, she, it) is

et conj and

établissement n settlement, establishment

état, estat n state

été past part been

étendu, -ue, estendu adj lying, stretched

étude n study, early draft

évangile n the Gospel

évêché, éveschez n bishopric, see

exactement adv exactly

extrait n extract

extrémite n extrémity, end of the earth

faisant pres part making

fait, faite adj made, done

faubourg n suburbs, outskirts

feu n fire

feuille n leaf, sheet

fils n son

fleuve n river

flibustier n buccaneer

Floride n Florida

fond n depth, bottom

fort n fort

fort, forte adj strong, large

Français, -aise adj French

françaises n the French

frégate n frigate

frère n brother

général, -ale adj general, universal

Gênes n Genoa

Genève n Geneva

géographe n geographer

géographie n geography

géographique adj geographical

Georgie n Georgia

globe n Globe

golfe, golphe n gulf, bay

gouvernement n government, governance

grand, grande adj large, great

gravé, -ée adj engraved

Grèce n Greece

Grenade n Grenada

Groenland n Greenland

Gueldre n Gelderland

guerre n war

habit n dress, attire

haut, haute adj high

havre n harbor

héritier n heir

histoire n history

historique adj historical

horloge n clock

huit card num eight

huitième ord num eighth

hydrographe n hydrographer

hydrographie n hydrography

hydrographique adj hydrographic

illustré, -ée adj illustrated

il pron he, it

ils pron they

impératrice n empress

important, -ante adj important

imprimé, -ée adj printed

inclinaison magnétique n magnetic dip

les Indes n the Indies

Indien n Indian

indiquant pres part indicating

inférieur, -ieure adj lower

ingénieur n engineer

intelligence n intelligence, understanding

intérieur, -ieure adj interior, inland

intitulé, -ée adj entitled

isle, île n island

isthme n isthmus

itinéraire n route

Jamaique n Jamaica

Japon n Japan

journal n journal, logbook, pl. journaux

jusque prep up to, as far as

l' art the (singular)

la art the (singular)

lac n lake

laquelle rel pron who, which

le art the (singular)

lequel rel pron who, which

les art the (plural)

lesquels, lesquelles rel pron who, which

leur pron their, them

levé, -ée adj raised, levied

libraire n bookseller

lieu n place, pl. lieux

lieue n league, pl. lieues

ligne n line, one-twelfth inch

limite n limit, boundary

limitrophe adj adjoining, bordering

Londres n London

lors adv then

Louisiane n Louisiana

lui pron him, her

lunaire adj lunar

luy pron he

maison n house

Malouines n Falkland Islands

La Manche n English Channel

manière n manner, behaviour

manuscrit n manuscript

mappe n map

mappemonde n world map

Maragnon n Amazon

marine adj marine

marine n navy

marqué, -ée adj marked

marquisat n marquisate

meilleur, -eure adj better

même adj same

mémoire n memoire, report

mer n sea

Mer Glaciale n Arctic Ocean

Mer du Nord n Atlantic Ocean

Mer du Sud n Pacific Ocean

méridional, -ale adj southern

Mexique n Mexico

mieux adv better

mille card num thousand

ministre n minister

moderne adj modern

moin adv less; least (with definite article)

monde n world, earth, universe

monseigneur n title of respect

mont n mountain

montagne n mountain

montrant pres part showing

mouillage n anchorage

mouvement n movement, motion

navigateur n navigator, sailor

neuf card num nine

neuf, neuve adj new

neuvième ord num ninth

nom n name

nord n north

nouveau, -el, -elle adj new

nouvellement adv recently

nouvelles n news

observations n observations

occident n west

occidental, -ale adj western

océan n ocean

océanique adj oceanic

on pron someone, one, he

ont v (they) have

onze card num eleven

onzième ord num eleventh

opération n operation

ordinaire adj ordinary, usual

ordre n order

oriental, -ale adj eastern

ou conj or

où adv, pron where

ouest n west

ouvrage n work

païs, pays n land, country, nation

palais n palace

palatinat n palatinate

par prep by, at

particulier, -ière adj particular, detailed, special

particulièrement adv particularly

partie n part

pas adv not

pas n strait

passage n passage

Perse n Persia

petit, petite adj small

peuples n peoples

plan n plan, draft, urban map

planisphere n planisphere

plus adv more; most (with definite article)

plusieurs adj, pron several

point n point

politique adj political

Pologne n Poland

port n harbor, seaport

portugais, -aise adj Portuguese

possédé, -ée adj possessed

possédent pres part possessing

possessions n possessions

pouce n inch

pour prep for

premier, -ière adj first, foremost

près de near

presenté, -ée adj presented, offered

preséntement adv for the time being, presently

presque adv almost, nearly

presqu'île n peninsula

principal, -ale adj principal, leading, main

principalement adv principally, mainly

principauté n principality

pris, prise adj taken

privilège n permission, copyright

province n province, country

publié, -iée adj published

quatre card num four

quatrième ord num fourth

quay n quay, wharf

que conj that

quelque adj some

qui rel pron who, which, that

rade n roadstead, anchorage

recent, -ente adj recent, new

récif n reef

reconnu, -ue adj recognized

rectifié, -iée adj corrected

recueil n collection, compendium

redigé, -ée adj composed, drafted, edited

reduite adj reduced, scaled down

reine n queen

relation n narrative, account

remarque n sailor's landmark, comment

remarqué, -ée adj remarked, observed

renommé, -ée adj well-known

retour n return

revu ue n revised

riviere n river

rocher n rock

roi, roy n king

route n course, road

royaume n kingdom

rue n street

Russe n Russian

Russie n Russia

sa pron his, her, its

saint, sainte adj holy

sauvage n savage

se, s' reflex pron himself, herself, themselves

seigneurie n manor, domain

selon prep according to

sept card num seven

septentrional, -ale adj northern

septième ord num seventh

service n assistance, service

servir v to assist, to serve

ses pron his, her, its

siège n siege, seat

situé, -ée adj located, situated

six card num six

sixième ord num sixth

son pron his, her, its

sonde n sounding

sont v (they) are

sortie n going out, exit

sous prep under

statistique adj statistical

successeur n successor

sud n south

Suède n Sweden

Suisse n Switzerland

suite n continuation

suivant prep according to, following

supérieur, -ieure adj upper, higher

sur prep on, upon, above

tableau n picture, view

Tamise n Thames

terre n land, earth, world

Terre Neuve n Newfoundland

terrestre adj terrestrial

territoire n territory, district

tiré, -ée adj extracted, derived

titre n title

toise n fathom

topographique adj topographical

tout, toute adj all, whole; pl. tous, toutes

traduit, -e adj translated

treize card num thirteen

très adv very

tributaire n tributary

trois card num three

troisième ord num third

trouvé, -ée adj found

un, une card num one

uni, -ie adj united

universel, -elle adj universal

usage n use, à la usage de for the use of

vaisseau n vessel, pl. vaisseaux

vent n wind

vierge n virgin

vieux, vieil, vieille adj old

ville n city, town

Virginie n Virginia

voir v to see

voisin, -ine adj neighboring, nearby

voyage n voyage

voyageur n traveller

vue n view