Intermediate French Vocabulary

Lessons and resources for intermediate-level French vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, true cognates, false cognates, and more.

French Dictionaries
Links to dozens of online dictionaries.

An/Année, Jour/Journée, Matin/Matinée, Soir/Soirée
There are two French words for year (an, année), day (jour, journée), morning (matin, matinée), and evening (soir, soirée). This lesson will help you learn to tell these confusing pairs apart.

Bon vs Bien, Mauvais vs Mal
The French words bon and bien, mauvais and mal are often mixed up - study this lesson to straighten them out.

C'est vs Il est
The French expressions c'est and il est are very similar in meaning. They are both used in impersonal expressions as well as for general comments, but they are not interchangeable. Learn the difference between c'est and il est and then take the test.

Countries ~ Pays du monde
A list of the countries of the world in French and English.

Depuis vs Il y a
The French temporal expressions depuis and il y a have distinctly different meanings and uses, yet they commonly present difficulties for French students. Here is a detailed explanation and comparison of depuis and il y a to help you clearly understand the difference once and for all.

False Cognates ~ Faux amis
Words which are spelled/pronounced similarly in French and English don't always mean the same thing. Learn to recognize hundreds of false cognates.

French Vocabulary in English
English has borrowed many words and expressions from French. Some have been completely absorbed into English, while others have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi. Study this list of French terms commonly used in English.

Mot du Jour - French Word of the Day
Learn a new word intermediate- to advanced-level French word online every weekday.

Number Terms
There are quite a few confusing pairs and difficult expressions related to numbers in French: second/deuxième, en premier/au premier/de premier, tiers/troisième....

Parce que, Car, Puisque, Comme
The French conjunctions parce que, car, puisque, and comme are commonly used to draw conclusions or otherwise relate a cause or explanation with a result or conclusion. These conjunctions have similar but not identical meanings and uses - this lesson explains the difference.

Plus
The French word plus can be used as an adverb or in a number of different expressions. Plus, it can be pronounced in three different ways. Learn everything you need to know about the meaning, pronunciation, and usage of plus right here.

Quelque
Quelque is an indefinite adjective and adverb that is found in numerous indefinite terms and expressions.

Tel, Telle, Tels, Telles
The French word tel can be a qualifying adjective, an indefinite adjective, or an indefinite pronoun, and is also used in a number of expressions and conjunctions, making it an extremely versatile and useful French word.

Visit, To Visit, Visitor
All of this visiting vocabulary has several French equivalents. Une visite vs un séjour; rendre visite vs visiter vs aller voir - these and more are thoroughly explained and dissected in this lesson.

Vrais Amis
The 1,700 words on these pages are spelled (although not pronounced) identically in French and English and are true or semi-true cognates. Take a look at this list to discover just how much vocabulary is shared between French and English.

Yes in French
Saying yes is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say yes, yeah, sure, and more.

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