Log inSign up

Quel est le sens de ce mot ?

Quel est le sens de ce mot ?
What is the meaning of this word?
From Lesson 86:Irregular communication verbs (dire, lire)·French

Questions & Answers about Quel est le sens de ce mot ?

The current lesson is about the verb dire. Is there a way to ask this same question using dire?
Yes! You will very often hear "Que veut dire ce mot ?" (literally: "What does this word want to say?"). This uses the verb dire and is a very common way to ask what a word or phrase means in conversational French.
Why do we use quel here for "what" instead of que or quoi?
In French, when asking "what is [noun]?", you almost always use quel (matching the gender and number of the noun). You are essentially asking "Which is the meaning...?". You use que or quoi for "what" when it is the object of an action, like "Que lis-tu ?" (What are you reading?).
Doesn't sens also mean "direction"?
Yes! Le sens is a very versatile word. Depending on the context, it can mean "meaning" (like in this sentence), "direction" (as in sens unique, a one-way street), or a physical "sense" (like sight or hearing).
Why is it ce mot instead of cet mot?
Ce is the word for "this" or "that" used before masculine singular nouns starting with a consonant. You only use cet before a masculine noun if it starts with a vowel or a silent 'h' (like cet animal). Because mot starts with a consonant, we use ce.

Learn Quel est le sens de ce mot and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →