Speed Up Your French: Strategies to avoid common errors (2016)

Students of French tend to find the following adjectives and adverbs difficult to remember. Although a French word may look very similar to an English word, it frequently means something quite different. Even where there is some overlap in meaning, the match is often only partial. Try to learn the different meanings of each French adjective and adverb below by studying the contexts given.

False friends

1 Abusif

Abusif means ‘excessive’, ‘unfair’ or ‘improper’.

Il a fait un usage abusif de citations.

(He has made excessive use of quotations.)

Ils se sont arrogé des privilèges abusifs.

(They have claimed unfair privileges.)

Voilà un emploi abusif du terme.

(That is an improper / incorrect use of the term.)

However, if you want to say ‘abusive’, meaning ‘rude’ or ‘insulting’, note the following:

Il a réagi d’une façon grossière.

(He reacted in an abusive / rude way.)

Ce sont des remarques très injurieuses.

(These are very abusive / insulting remarks.)

* Learn the expression: une mère abusive (an over-protective mother)

2 Académique

This adjective usually has a pejorative sense, referring to ‘an artist or writer who conforms narrowly to the tradition in which they were trained’.

C’est un peintre académique.

(He is an academic painter.)

More neutrally, it can refer to something associated with the Académie Française, or to something associated with a particular local education authority, or académie, as it is known in France.

Elle travaille à l’inspection académique d’Amiens.

(She works in the local schools inspectorate of Amiens.)

However, if you want to say ‘academic’ in the English sense, there are various possibilities.

Elle a accepté un poste universitaire.

(She has taken up an academic post.)

Il n’est pas très doué pour les études.

(He is not very academic.)

Ce débat est d’un intérêt théorique.

(This debate is a matter of academic interest.)

3 Actuel / Actuellement

The adjective actuel and the corresponding adverb actuellement do not mean ‘actual’ or ‘actually’. They both express a connection with the present time.

La forme actuelle de sa thèse n’est qu’une ébauche.

(The present / current shape of his thesis is only a draft.)

Nous ne disposons actuellement que de deux ordinateurs.

(At present we have only two computers.)

However, if you want to say:

actual → exact, réel, même (following the noun)

actually → en fait, vraiment, exactement

Je ne me rappelle pas le coût exact.

(I don’t remember the actual cost.)

Je ne peux pas imaginer son motif réel.

(I can’t imagine his / her actual reason.)

Voici la maison même où Shakespeare est né.

(This is the actual house where Shakespeare was born.)

En fait elle cuisine très bien.

(She’s actually a very good cook.)

Ils n’ont pas vraiment refusé de l’aider.

(They didn’t actually refuse to help him.)

À quelle heure sont-ils arrivés exactement?

(What time did they actually arrive?)

4 Compréhensif

Compréhensif means ‘understanding’.

C’est un professeur compréhensif, toujours prêt à écouter les étudiants.

(He is an understanding teacher, always ready to listen to students.)

However, if you want to say ‘comprehensive’, meaning all-embracing, use complet or détaillé.

Il a rédigé un rapport complet / détaillé sur le problème.

(He wrote a comprehensive report about the problem.)

* Learn the expression: assurances tous risques (comprehensive insurance policy).

5 Conséquent

Conséquent means ‘substantial’ or ‘consistent / coherent’.

Les réfugiés ont reçu une aide conséquente.

(The refugees have received substantial aid.)

Il faut être conséquent avec soi-même.

(It is essential to be consistent.)

However, if you want to say ‘consequent’, a verbal expression is better.

Le référendum et les discussions qu’il a entraînées

(The referendum and the consequent discussions.)

* Learn the expression: par conséquent (therefore, as a result).

6 Content

Content means ‘pleased’.

Je suis contente qu’elle soit là.

(I am pleased that she is here.)

However, if you want to say ‘content’, use satisfait. Compare and contrast the following:

Ce n’est pas un élève doué, mais je suis satisfaite de son travail.

(He’s not a gifted pupil, but I am content / satisfied with his work.)

Il a fait des progrès remarquables et je suis très contente de son travail.

(He has made remarkable progress and I am very pleased with his work.)

7 Disgracieux

Disgracieux means ‘ugly’, ‘unsightly’, ‘awkward’ or ‘unbecoming’.

Les boutons d’acné sont disgracieux.

(Acne spots are unsightly.)

Elle portait une robe très disgracieuse.

(She was wearing a very unbecoming dress.)

Mnemonic device

Think of the associated noun grâce (grace). Disgracieux means ‘lacking grace / attraction’.

However, if you want to say ‘disgraceful’, meaning ‘shameful’, use honteux or scandaleux.

C’est une attitude honteuse.

(That’s a disgraceful attitude.)

Ce sont des propos scandaleux.

(Those are disgraceful remarks.)

* Learn the expressions: C’est une honte or C’est un scandale (It’s disgraceful).

8 Effectif / Effectivement

Effectif means ‘real’ or ‘actual’. Effectivement means ‘indeed’ or ‘actually’.

Il a de bonnes intentions, mais son travail effectif ne vaut pas grand-chose.

(He has good intentions, but his actual work does not amount to much.)

La situation est effectivement délicate.

(It is indeed a delicate situation.)

However, if you want to say ‘effective’ or ‘effectively’, use efficace or efficacement.

C’est un remède très efficace.

(It’s a very effective treatment.)

Elle est intervenue efficacement dans les pourparlers.

(She intervened effectively in the talks.)

* Learn the expressions: devenir effectif (to come into effect) and oui / non, effectivement (yes / no, that’s right – in answer to a previous question).

9 Engagé

Engagé means ‘politically committed’.

Camus est un écrivain engagé.

(Camus is a politically committed writer.)

However, if you want to say ‘engaged’, use fiancé for ‘engaged to be married’ and occupé for ‘occupied’ or ‘busy’.

Elle est fiancée à mon neveu.

(She is engaged to my nephew.)

La toilette est occupée. La ligne est occupée.

(The toilet is engaged. The line is engaged.)

10 Éventuel / Éventuellement

Éventuel means ‘possible’. Éventuellement means ‘possibly’.

Il faut penser aux conséquences éventuelles d’une telle démarche.

(You need to think about the possible consequences of such a step.)

Vous aurez éventuellement des difficultés à comprendre le dialecte sicilien.

(You will possibly have difficulty understanding the Sicilian dialect.)

However, if you want to say ‘eventual’ or ‘eventually’, use à la longue, à long terme, finalement or finir par.

Ce qu’elle a l’intention de faire à long terme c’est de devenir médecin.

(Her eventual goal is to become a doctor.)

Il a fini par comprendre.

(Eventually he understood.)

11 Fastidieux

Fastidieux means ‘tedious’ or ‘tiresome’.

La correction des devoirs est un travail fastidieux.

(Marking homework is a tedious task.)

However, if you want to say ‘fastidious’ use méticuleux in a positive sense, or délicat in a negative sense.

Elle est méticuleuse dans son travail.

(She is fastidious in her work.)

Elle est délicate sur la nourriture.

(She is fastidious / fussy about food.)

12 Génial means ‘brilliant’, ‘fantastic’, ‘great’.

C’est une idée géniale.

(That’s a brilliant / great idea.)

Mnemonic device

Remember that génial is related to the noun génie (genius) and so it means, literally, ‘full of genius’.

However, if you want to say ‘genial’, use cordial (genial / warm-hearted) or bienveillant / doux (genial / gentle / mild).

C’est une personne très cordiale.

(He / she is a very genial / warm-hearted person.)

Elle a un regard bienveillant / doux.

(She has a genial / gentle expression / look.)

13 Hardi

Hardi means ‘bold’ or ‘impudent’.

C’est un explorateur hardi.

(He is a bold explorer.)

L’élève a été bien hardi de parler au professeur sur ce ton.

(The pupil was very impudent to speak to the teacher in that way.)

However, if you want to say ‘hardy’, use robuste.

C’est un arbre robuste qui résistera à ce climat.

(It’s a hardy tree that will withstand this climate.)

14 Incessamment

Incessamment means ‘very shortly’.

Nous attendons des nouvelles incessamment.

(We are expecting news very shortly.)

However, if you want to say ‘unceasingly’ or ‘constantly’, use sans cesse.

Il a travaillé sans cesse.

(He has worked unceasingly / constantly.)

* Learn the humorous expression incessamment ou sous peu (in next to no time). This is effectively saying the same thing twice; sous peu (very shortly) means much the same as incessamment. It’s a good way of remembering the meaning of incessamment.

15 Inusable

Inusable means ‘hardwearing’.

J’achète toujours des pneus inusables.

(I always buy hardwearing tyres.)

However, if you want to say ‘unusable’, use inutilisable.

Ce produit est contaminé et tout à fait inutilisable.

(This product is contaminated and completely unusable.)

16 Large / Largement

Large means ‘broad’ or ‘wide’.

Cette avenue est très large.

(This avenue is very wide.)

However, if you want to say ‘large’, use grand, gros or important.

Ce magasin se spécialise dans les grandes tailles.

(This shop specialises in large sizes.)

Ils ont perdu de grosses / d’importantes sommes d’argent.

(They have lost / wasted large amounts of money.)

* Learn the expressions: dans une large mesure (to a large extent), avoir les idées larges (to be broad-minded / liberal) and avoir l’esprit large (to be broad-minded).

Largement most commonly means ‘widely’.

C’est une attitude largement répandue.

(It’s a widely held attitude.)

However, it can sometimes mean ‘largely / to a large extent’.

Elle est largement responsable de l’organisation des cours de langue.

(She is largely responsible for organising the language classes.)

It also has other idiomatic uses, including:

Tu as largement le temps.

(You have plenty of time.)

C’est largement suffisant.

(That’s more than enough.)

17 Luxurieux

Luxurieux means ‘lustful’ and is characteristic of literary usage. The associated noun is la luxure (lust).

Une attitude luxurieuse se trahit dans son comportement envers ces jeunes femmes.

(A lustful attitude is apparent in his behaviour towards these young women.)

However, if you want to say ‘luxurious’, use luxueux. The associated noun is le luxe (luxury).

Ils mènent un train de vie luxueux.

(They have a luxurious lifestyle.)

Mnemonic device

The expression hôtel de luxe (luxury or deluxe hotel) should help you to remember that the French noun for ‘luxury’ is luxe, not luxure, and therefore that the French adjective for ‘luxurious’ is luxueux, not luxurieux.

18 Pathétique

Pathétique means ‘full of pathos’ or ‘moving’.

J’ai trouvé cette scène vraiment pathétique.

(I found that scene really moving.)

However, if you want to say ‘pathetic’, meaning ‘inadequate’ or ‘contemptible’, use misérable, or, more colloquially, lamentable.

Il gagne un salaire misérable.

(He earns a pathetic wage.)

Cette dissert est lamentable.

(This essay is pathetic.)

19 Pétulant

Pétulant means ‘exuberant’.

Je n’ai jamais connu un enfant si débordant d’énergie, si pétulant.

(I have never known a child so brimming with energy, so exuberant.)

However, if you want to say ‘petulant’, use irascible or irritable.

Cet adolescent est très irascible / irritable. Il se met en colère pour un rien.

(This teenager is very petulant. He flies into a rage at the slightest thing.)

20 Présentement

Présentement means ‘at present’ or ‘at the moment’. It is a synonym for the more commonly used actuellement. See above.

Le directeur est présentement en voyage d’affaires.

(The director is on a business trip at the moment.)

However, if you want to say ‘presently’, meaning ‘in a moment from now’, use tout à l’heure.

Le médecin vous verra tout à l’heure.

(The doctor will see you presently.)

Remember the expression: À tout à l’heure (See you later).

Note that tout à l’heure can refer to time past as well as to future time, e.g.

Il est passé tout à l’heure.

(He called by just now / a little while ago.)

21 Roman

Roman means ‘Romanesque’ (or Norman in Great Britain), as applied to the style of architecture used in western and southern Europe from the ninth to the twelfth century, characterised by rounded arches and massive masonry wall construction. It also means ‘Romance’, as applied to languages.

La cathédrale de Durham est un bel exemple du style roman.

(Durham cathedral is a fine example of Romanesque / Norman style.)

Les langues romanes, telles que le français et l’italien, sont dérivées du latin.

(Romance languages, such as French and Italian, are derived from Latin.)

However, if you want to say ‘Roman’, use romain.

On trouve d’importants vestiges romains dans le Midi.

(There are significant Roman remains in the South of France.)

22 Rude

Rude means ‘hard’, ‘harsh’ or ‘severe’.

Le métier des armes est rude.

(An army career is hard.)

Nous avons vécu des hivers rudes.

(We have lived through some harsh / severe winters.)

However, if you want to say ‘rude’, use impoli.

C’était très impoli de sa part de partir sans rien dire.

(It was very rude of him / her to leave without saying anything.)

* Learn the expression: avoir une santé de fer (to be in rude health).

23 Sensible means ‘sensitive’ or ‘perceptible’.

Elle a la peau sensible.

(She has sensitive skin.)

La différence est à peine sensible.

(The difference is hardly perceptible.)

However, if you want to say ‘sensible’, meaning ‘reasonable’, use sensé or raisonnable.

C’est une personne très sensée / raisonnable.

(He / she is a very sensible person.)

24 Sympathique

Sympathique means ‘nice’, ‘friendly’ or ‘pleasant’.

Ce sont des gens sympathiques. Ils créent une ambiance sympathique.

(They are nice people. They create a friendly atmosphere.)

However, if you want to say ‘sympathetic’, meaning ‘understanding’, use compatissant.

Elle se montrait compatissante envers les élèves moins doués.

(She was sympathetic to the weaker pupils.)

25 Valable

Valable means ‘valid’.

Mon passeport est valable jusqu’à la fin de juillet.

(My passport is valid until the end of July.)

However, if you want to say ‘valuable’, use de valeur or précieux.

Il est évident que ce sont des objets de valeur.

(They are clearly valuable objects.)

La bibliothèque abrite des manuscrits précieux.

(The library houses some valuable manuscripts.)