Audio Dictionary: French Words Starting With K, L, M and N

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Boost your French vocabulary by studying common words in the language starting with letters K, L, M and N. Listen to the pronunciation of these words and practice using them in context.

French Words That Start With K

K the letter K French alphabet
kascher (also spelled casher, cascher) (invariable adj) - kosher MdJ - K
un képi kepi (sturdy hat with a flat, raised, circular top and a visor, worn by French military and police) MdJ - K
la kermesse fair, bazaar MdJ - K
kif-kif / kifkif (fam adj) - (all the) same MdJ - K
un kilo de kilogram Q + M
un kilogramme de kilo Q + M
un kilometre    
le kiosque newsstand Shopping
klaxonner to honk/beep/toot one's horn MdJ - K

French Words That Start With L

L the letter L French alphabet
lâche (adj) - cowardly Personality
lâcher to loosen, to let go of, release; (inf) - to leave MdJ - L
une lacune gap, blank, deficiency, lack MdJ - L
Laetitia Latitia French names
laid (adj) - ugly Descriptions
laisser un message to leave a message On the phone
le lait milk Drinks
la laiterie dairy Shopping
la laitue lettuce Vegetables
la ligne est occupee    
une lampe lamp Furniture
lancer to throw, launch MdJ - L
le lapin rabbit Meat
larvé (adj) - latent, below the surface MdJ - L
la saint valentin    
lasser to tire, weary MdJ - L
Laure Laura French names
Laurence   French names
Laurent Laurence French names
un lavabo sink Furniture
se laver to wash Toiletries
le    
la lecture reading Hobbies
un légume vegetable Vegetables
le lendemain the next day, day after; future MdJ - L
les lendemains consequences MdJ - L
Léon Leon, Leo French names
les    
les amis    
les anciens eleves    
les animaux sont interdits    
les nombres    
le temps    
leurrer to deceive, delude, lure MdJ - L
la lèvre lip Body
l'heure    
licencier to make redundant, lay off MdJ - L
La ligne est occupée The line is busy. On the phone
ligoter to bind, tie MdJ - L
la lime à ongles nail file Toiletries
à la limite if pushed, at most, ultimately, in a pinch... MdJ - L
liquide    
un lit bed Furniture
un litre de liter Q + M
livraison    
un livre book School
une livre pound Q + M
des livres utiles some useful books Optional liaisons
local    
le logement lodging, accommodations Accommodations
le logiciel software (program) MdJ - L
loin (de) far (from) Directions
le lolo milk Baby talk
long (adj) - long Descriptions
le long length, long way, lengthwise MdJ - L
Lorraine Lorraine French names
louable commendable, laudable MdJ - L
louche (adj) shady, shifty, seedy, dubious MdJ - L
loufoque (inf adj) - wild, crazy MdJ - L
Louis Louis, Lewis French names
Louise Louise French names
loup    
louper (fam) - to miss, mess up, flunk MdJ - L
lourd (adj) - heavy Weather
lu    
Luc Luke French names
Lucas Lucas French names
Luce Lucy French names
Lucie Lucy French names
ludique (adj) playful, recreational MdJ - L
lugubre (adj) - gloomy, dismal MdJ - L
lundi Monday Calendar
lune    
la lune de miel honeymoon (literally and fig) MdJ - L
des lunettes (f) glasses Accessories
des lunettes de soleil (f) sunglasses Accessories
la lutte fight, conflict, wrestling MdJ - L
un lycée high school School

French Words That Start With M

M the letter M French alphabet
un machin thingie, whatsit, contraption MdJ - M
machine
une machine à calculer adding machine Office
une machine à écrire typewriter Office
machoire
Madame Ma'am, Mrs. Politeness
Madeleine Madeline French names
Mademoiselle Miss Politeness
un magasin store Shopping
un magasin de confection clothing store Shopping
maghreb (adj) - North African MdJ - M
le Maghreb North Africa MdJ - M
un Maghreb North African person MdJ - M
un magnétoscope VCR / video cassette recorder MdJ - M
mai May Calendar
un maillot (de bain) bathing suit Clothing
un maillot de corps undershirt Men's clothing
la main hand Body
maint (adj) - many, a lot, much MdJ - M
mairie town/city hall; town/city council; mayor's office MdJ - M
le maïs corn Vegetables
mais enfin but finally Optional liaisons
la maison house Home
maîtriser to control, overcome, suppress; to master MdJ - M
malade
mal aux dents
la mal-bouffe (fam) unhealthy eating, junk food MdJ - M
mal de mer
mal de transports
un malentendu misunderstanding MdJ - M
un malfrat (inf) - thug, crook, truant MdJ - M
malin (inf adj) - shrewd, cunning MdJ - M
un malin crafty or clever person MdJ - M
la mammy granny Baby talk
un mandat mandate; postal/money order MdJ - M
mangeons
manger to eat Food
Manon French names
un manteau coat Clothing
le maquillage make-up Toiletries
maquiller to fake, doctor MdJ - M
se maquiller to put on make-up Toiletries
Marc Mark, Marcus French names
Marcel Marcel French names
Marcelle French names
le marché outdoor market Shopping
mardi Tuesday Calendar
Margaux Margot French names
Margot Maggie French names
Marguerite Margaret French names
un mari husband Family
le mariage marriage, wedding Love language
Marianne symbol of France MdJ - M
Marie Marie, Mary French names
Marine (navy, seascape) French names
mark
Marocain(e) Moroccan Lang + Nat
maroquin (m) leather MdJ - M
marrant (inf adj) - funny, odd MdJ - M
marron brown Colors
mars March Calendar
Marthe Martha French names
Martin Martin French names
Martine French names
Maryse French names
le mascara mascara Toiletries
masser to assemble, gather together; massage MdJ - M
un matelas mattress; reserve, cushion MdJ - M
Mathilde Mathilda French names
Matthieu Matthew French names
maudit (inf adj) - darned, blasted, hateful; (literary) - accursed MdJ - M
Maurice Morris French names
maussade (adj) - sullen, gloomy, morose MdJ - M
mauvais (adj) - bad weather Weather
la mayonnaise mayonnaise Food
un mec (fam) - dude, bloke MdJ - M
un mécanicien mechanic Professions
un mécène patron (of artists or writers) MdJ - M
méchant (adj) - mean Personality
une mèche wick, fuse; lock of hair; streak; (medicine) pack, dressing MdJ - M
un médecin doctor Professions
Médoc
méduser to dumbfound, paralyze, stupefy MdJ - M
la méfiance mistrust, distrust, suspicion MdJ - M
se méfier to distrust, be careful about MdJ - M
mégoter (inf) - to skimp MdJ - M
mêler to mix, mingle, blend, combine, muddle MdJ - M
la mémé granny Baby talk
une mémère (inf) - granny, grandma; "fat elderly woman" MdJ - M
la menotte hand Baby talk
le menu fixed-price meal Restaurant
merci thank you Politeness
merci beaucoup thank you very much Politeness
merci bien thank you very much Politeness
mercredi Wednesday Calendar
mercure
une mère mother Family
Merlot
merveilleux wonderful marvelous Bon synonyms
mes élèves my students Liaisons
la météo weather forecast MdJ - M
meteore
un métier job, trade, occupation, craft, skill, experience MdJ - M
le métrage length, measurement, yardage MdJ - M
le métro subway Transportation
un mets dish of food MdJ - M
mettre les pieds dans le plat
un meuble piece of furniture Furniture
Mexicain(e) Mexican Lang + Nat
miam-miam (interjection) - yum yum, yummy Baby talk
Michel Michael French names
Michèle Michelle French names
midi noon Telling time
la mie the soft part of bread MdJ - M
mignon (adj) - cute, dainty MdJ - M
un mignon darling, cutie MdJ - M
mijoter to simmer; (inf) - to plot, hatch, cook up MdJ - M
mille 1,000 Numbers
un mille mile Q + M
mille fois merci bless you! (thank you so much) Politeness
un milliard a billion Numbers
un million 1,000,000 Numbers
minable (adj) - shabby, seedy, mediocre MdJ - M
mince (adj) - thin, meager; (inf interj) - Darn it!, Wow! MdJ - M
un minet (inf, baby talk) - kitty; (term of affection) - pet, sweetie-pie MdJ - M
une minijupe miniskirt Women's clothing
minorer (finance) to cut, reduce; to underestimate; to play down, minimize MdJ - M
minuit midnight Telling time
miraud
les mirettes (inf, plural fem) - eyes, peepers MdJ - M
un miroir mirror Furniture
mission
mitige (figurative adj) lukewarm, half-hearted MdJ - M
un mobile cell phone Office
mobiliser to call up, mobilize, raise MdJ - M
moche (inf adj) - ugly, mean MdJ - M
modique (adj) modest (only used with money) MdJ - M
moelleux (adj) soft, mellow, tender, moist, sweet MdJ - M
moindre (adj) - lesser, lower MdJ - M
le moindre least, the slightest MdJ - M
moins le quart quarter of/to Telling time
les mois de l'année months of the year Calendar
moitie
molaire
mollo (fam adv) - easy (in attitude) MdJ - M
une môme (inf) - kid, brat, chick MdJ - M
un/une môme young homosexual MdJ - M
Monique Monica French names
monnaie
Monsieur Sir, Mr. Politeness
un montant post, upright, jamb; total, sum MdJ - M
une montre watch Jewelry
une moquette carpet Furniture
mordiller to nibble, chew on MdJ - M
mordre to bite (literal and fig) MdJ - M
une moto motorbike Driving
mou (adj) - soft, limp MdJ - M
un mouchoir handkerchief Accessories
des moufles (f) mittens Accessories
mouiller to wet, drench, water; (fam) - to drag into, to mix up in MdJ - M
la mouise (fam) - poverty, hard times MdJ - M
un moule mold (for shaping something) MdJ - M
une moule mussel; (inf) - idiot MdJ - M
le mousse au chocolat chocolate mousse Dessert
la moutarde mustard Food
un mouton sheep, sheepskin, mutton; white caps; stool pigeon MdJ - M
la mouture milling, grinding, grounds; draft, rehashing MdJ - M
mouvementé (adj) eventful, turbulent, rough MdJ - M
moyen
mu
muer to molt, shed; (voice) to break, change MdJ - M
un mur wall Furniture
une mûre blackberry Fruit
Muscat
le musée museum Directions
la musique music MdJ - M
muter to transfer MdJ - M
une myrtille blueberry Fruit

French Words That Start With N

N the letter N French alphabet
naïf (adj) - naive Personality
naine
une nana (informal) woman, chick, girlfriend MdJ - N
narguer to flout, scoff at, deride, turn up one's nose at MdJ - N
la natation swimming Hobbies
Nath (short for Nathalie) French names
Nathalie Nathalie French names
nature (adj) - plain MdJ - N
une navette shuttle service, commute MdJ - N
navré (adj) - extremely sorry, sympathetic MdJ - N
néanmoins (adv) - nevertheless, yet MdJ - N
nécessairement (adv) - necessarily, automatically, inevitably MdJ - N
Néerlandais(e), lenéerlandais Dutch Lang + Nat
neige
neptune
Ne quittez pas. Please hold. On the phone
un nerf (anatomy) - nerve MdJ - N
nerveux (adj) - nervous Mood
net (adj) - clean, neat, clear MdJ - N
neuf 9 Numbers
un neveu nephew Family
le nez nose Body
nez qui coule
Nicolas Nicholas French names
Nicole Nicole French names
une nièce niece Family
un niveau level, standard MdJ - N
les noces wedding Love language
nocif (adj) noxious, harmful MdJ - N
Noël Christmas French names
Noémi Naomi French names
un nœud papillon bow tie Men's clothing
noir black Colors
noisette (adj) - hazel Descriptions
les nombres numbers Numbers
nombriliste iinf adj) - self-centered MdJ - N
non no Basic vocab
nord north Directions
normal (adj) - normal, usual, standard, natural MdJ - N
normalement (adv) normally, if all goes as expected MdJ - N
le nounours teddy bear Baby talk
la nourriture food Food
nous we Subject pronouns
Nous en avons We have some Liaisons
Nous sommes.... Today is..., We are... Dates
novembre November Calendar
novocaine
noyer
nu
nuageux (adj) - cloudy Weather
la nuit night MdJ - N
la nuitée (tourism industry) night MdJ - N
nul (adj) - no, useless, hopeless (pronoun) - no one MdJ - N
un numéro number, issue (of a periodical) MdJ - N
un numéro de téléphone phone number On the phone
nunuche (inf adj) - namby-pamby, insipid, silly MdJ - N
un/e nunuche (inf) - ninny MdJ - N
la nuque nape of the neck MdJ - N
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Team, ThoughtCo. "Audio Dictionary: French Words Starting With K, L, M and N." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/audio-dictionary-k-l-m-n-4085212. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). Audio Dictionary: French Words Starting With K, L, M and N. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/audio-dictionary-k-l-m-n-4085212 Team, ThoughtCo. "Audio Dictionary: French Words Starting With K, L, M and N." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/audio-dictionary-k-l-m-n-4085212 (accessed March 29, 2024).