Specialized French Dictionaries and Information

VTT, TGV, DEUG... Lost in alphabet soup? Acronyms abound in the French language, especially in newspapers, on the news, and in political discussions. Get a good head start by memorizing this list of the most common ones.

An apheresis, or aphaeresis, is a word which is shortened by dropping one or more syllables at the beginning of the word, and sometimes adding an extra sound at the end. Aphereses are often informal and are less common in French than apocopes.

It is very common in French for long words to be abbreviated by dropping one or more syllables at the end, and, in some instances, then adding an -o, such as dico, ordi, and métro. There are some apocopes which are so old that they are normal register, but most are informal or familiar, so use them with caution.

Learn French vocabulary related to astronomy to talk about planets, stars, and other celestial objects. Note that the names of the planets are similar in French and English, but their pronunciations can be quite different.

The French audio dictionary contains more than 2,000 alphabetical entries, each with a French word or expression, sound file, English translation, and links to additional or related information.

Learn how to say happy birthday in French, and other related vocabulary.

Writing a good formal letter in French is less about skill than it is knowing the jargon and the formulas. I've compiled a list of the most commonly needed formulas for commercial correspondence as well as job seekers. There's also a sample letter to help you get started.

Learn how to say each of the Canadian provinces in French.

Whether writing a letter to Santa or just celebrating Christmas, this French Christmas vocabulary will come in handy.

French-English and English-French list of the countries of the world.

Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to cycling.

Hundreds of the French expressions, including idiomatic expressions, proverbs, phrasal verbs, and formulas, arranged alphabetically by the first word in the French expression.

Learn some French Halloween vocabulary.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival of survival and freedom that lasts for eight days. Learn some French vocabulary related to this annual Jewish celebration.

Reading the menu in a French restaurant can be a little tricky, and not just due to language difficulties. There may be important differences between restaurants in France and in your own country, including what food is offered and how it is prepared. Here are some terms and tips to help you find your way around a French menu.

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration Learn about some Kwanzaa traditions and the French vocabulary to describe them.

Mardi gras is an annual celebration called le mardi gras (literally, "fat Tuesday") or le carnaval in French. Learn about some Mardi gras traditions and the French vocabulary to describe them.

How to say "I love you" in French, plus lots more love language, with sound files.

A list of several dozen necessary math terms as well as instructions on expressing basic equations in French.

Learn French vocabulary related to media and communication, including television, radio, internet, and snail mail.

Learn French vocabulary related to movies and film festivals, including cast, crew, genres, and useful verbs.

These pages include more than 200 of the most popular French first names, along with their pronunciation and English equivalents.

In honor of the 4th of July (American Independence Day) and the 14th of July (Bastille Day / French Independence Day), here is a list of French vocabulary related to the French and American national holidays.

The French you learn in your classes is not always enough when dealing with the real world. This list of French vocabulary related to current events and news will help you understand what is going on in the world."

Learn French words and verbs related to the five senses, as well as some French vocabulary related to the sixth sense.

Recommended books, dictionaries, useful websites, and other information about French slang.

Learn French vocabulary related to soccer and the World Cup.

Learn French vocabulary related to holidays and other special occasions.

Lists of French and English vocabulary for many sports, from your Guide.

Whether you love playing tennis or just watching annual tournaments like Wimbledon and the French Open, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to tennis.

French has all kinds of interesting terms of endearment, including a rather odd assortment of barnyard animals. Check out this list of French terms of endearment to use with your loved ones (both romantic and familial).

Learning French is one thing, but French on the internet - in chatrooms, forums, and email - or via text messaging can seem like a different language. Here are some common French abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols to help you communicate via text.

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in France, so here is some French vocabulary related to the American holiday.

Learn how to say each of the US states in French.

If you love French wine but hate ordering it, here's a page that can help. This list of French wines and related vocabulary includes sound files to help you pronounce the names of French wines.

When writing a French résumé, there is an obvious language difference as well as the issue of certain information that may not be required on résumés in your country. Here are the basic requirements, formats, and several examples of French résumés.

Printing presses, kinds of paper, everything for book-lovers. French only.

All the vocab you need related to networks. The French and English indices are separate.

Everything related to steel, French only.

Dictionary of computer science acronyms. Type English acronym for French definition and equivalent.

"AGROVOC is a multilingual, structured and controlled vocabulary designed to cover the terminology of all subject fields in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and related domains (e.g. environment)."

French to and from English, German, Italian, and Spanish.

List of terms related to autism - definitions in both French and English.

Definitions in French and English for fiber optics. There's a lot of extraneous info on the definition pages.

Everything you need to know about brakes!

Need to know some vocab related to the Hubble telescope? This is the place.

French and English definition related to plant virology.

Vocab related to automobile's suspension.

Every part of a ship's mast is available in French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Music dictionary: English-French-German-Serbian.

Dictionary of colors.

An amazing resource: French, English, Spanish, and German - pick between the following specialized dictionaries: Social Science, Industry, Astronomy, Genetics, Space Exploration, Environment, Hydrology, Photography, Spatiology, Law, Ocean, Agriculture, and even a few more. Whatever you're looking for is probably here!

Everything you need to know about literary techniques: glossary, literary genres, examples of techniques, and more. French only

Business French class offered by Lafayette College.

Glossary of terms related to atomic energy, French only.

A list of computer-related terms in English with their French equivalents.

Slow to load, but a fun exercise on vocabulary related to cooking and eating.

"Recueil de mots n'existant pas, ou de mots éxistants dont la définition a été revue afin de contribuer largement à l'évolution du langage en lui occtroyant une signification plus adaptée au contexte moderne."

Search by author or keyword, French only. Small membership fee.

Dictionary of veterinary bacteriology.

Search for definitions of French words related to rehabilitation. French only.

Everything related to networks, the web, and computer science, from IBM-Canada. English to French.

Get help with those crossword puzzles! French only.

French-English and English-French dictionary of nautical terms.

Long list of musical terms, English to French.

Alphabetical hypertext list of vocabulary related to civic law.

List of new French vocabulary, virtually all related to computers and the internet. Definitions are in French.

Bilingual dictionary, articles, and much more.

Horse vocabulary in French, English, Spanish, and German.

Whatever you want to say about water can be found right here.

Fill-in-the-blanks with the appropriate information related to the French educational system.

Institutions, policies, and specialized vocabulary; French only.

The Parisian Chambre of Commerce offers classes and certificates in various specializations.

Tired of franglais? This site will give you the recommended translation for imported terms in all kinds of specialized fields.

Topics include labor, economics, business practices, and more.

French-English-French list of culinary terms and common ingredients.

French terms with detailed definitions.

French list and defnitions of biochemistry.

Glossary of Roman architectural terminology.

Fairly long list, French only.

Everything you ever wanted to say about wood, French only.

Exhaustive dictionary of terms related to remote sensing. Search for the word in English or French to get French definition and translation.

French with French definitions, from French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

English to French, lots of acronyms explains, very technical, nice diagrams.

English to French with French definition.

French terms related to wine tasting with French definitions.

Several glossaries related to e-commerce and marketing.

List of French words related to forestry with French definition.

French only, brought to you by the Commission ministerielle de terminologie informatique.

List of French terms related to astronomy with French definitions.

Glossary of bug-vocab, with graphics. French only.

The complete glossary of AIDS-related terms and acronyms, French only.

A huge online dictionary: 3 million terms covering 200 different fields!

Database of social and labor fields: French to and from English, Spanish, and German.

BBC has made their journalism guidlines available to one and all. Topics include BBC style, word choice, impartiality, and more.

Read this introduction to geology in French for the essential vocabulary.

An introduction to guitars and the blues, in French.

Vocabulary related to insurance and actuaries, downloadable.

Very nice dictionary of geology, French only.

Terms related to fashion and the clothing industry. French only.

List of French education-related acronyms.

Terms related to literary movements, styles, etc., French only.

Alphabetical list of economics vocabulary.

Search alphabetically or by themes, French with French definitions.

Nice list of French to English terms. You can use it online or download for offline use.

Dictionary of internal medicine, French only.

A single list in French and English.

Terms related to veterinary medicine, French only, slow to load.

Nice dictionary of meteorology, hyperlinks in definitions, French only.

Vocabulary and the basic principles of circuits, in French.

French to English with definitions in French.

All the vocab you need related to microeconomics.

Mélange de néologismes, de franglais, de termes issus des logiciels et d’expressions potaches utilisé par les journalistes français sur le Web.

French and English with French definitions, mostly acronyms.

Extensive list of terms with definitions, French only.

A French explanation of the internet language Perl.

Global Positioning System.

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate French vocabulary.

A discussion of the musical/mathematical temperament in French (long and detailed).

Excellent French-English-French dictionary: gives translations and definitions.

Dictionary of genetics, bi-directional with definitions and synonyms.