100+ Most Common French Words and Phrases in English with Meanings

WritingSkills.my.id - There are many foreign words and phrases from other languages, including French, which have been absorbed and integrated into English language. In many instances, the English and French are similar and the only difference is the pronunciation. In the table below, I have listed the assimilated foreign words and phrases from French which are frequently used in English. There are also meanings for each French words or phrases.

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)

Berbagi :