Humanities › Languages Audio Dictionary of French Words Starting With D, E and F Share Flipboard Email Print Getty Images Languages French Vocabulary Basics Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources for Teachers English as a Second Language Spanish German Italian Japanese Mandarin Russian English Grammar View More by ThoughtCo Updated February 02, 2019 Give your French vocabulary a boost by reviewing words starting with letters D, E and F. Hear the pronunciation of these words and try using them in context. Words Starting With D Word Definition Category D the letter D French alphabet d'abord (adv) - first, in the first place d'accord OK Basic vocabulary dada (figurative) hobby-horse d'ailleurs (adv) - besides, moreover, for that matter une dalle paving stone, slab Daniel Daniel French names la danse dancing Hobbies la date date Dates David David French names déballer to unpack, display, let out débarrasser to clear, to rid (someone) of débile (adj) - weak, frail, sickly, poor; (inf) - stupid débiter to produce, to sell déblayer to clear away, remove, tidy up; to prepare (ground) déboîter to disconnect, dislodge, dislocate; (driving) to pull out débordement overflow(ing), boiling over, (out)burst déborder to overflow, to stick out; (fig) - to be bursting with un débouché opening, outlet, prospect debout (adj, adv) - standing, upright débrouiller to untangle, sort out, teach someone the basics débutant (adj) - beginning, novice déca decaf (informal) le décalage horaire time difference, jet lag décembre December Calendar déclencher to release, set off, trigger, launch, work décoiffer to muss (one's hair), to take one's hat off décontracté (adj) relaxed, laid back, casual en découdre to fight, do battle décréter to order, declare, decree, ordain, decide décrocher to pick up (the phone) On the phone dédaigner to despise, look down on, scorn, disdain, spurn le dédommagement compensation, something to make up for a problem défense d'entrer do not enter Travel défense de fumer no smoking Restaurant un défi challenge, defiance un dégât (often plural) - damage déglinguer (inf) - to bust, break dégoiser (inf) - to spout, rattle on dégommer (fam) - to demote, ire; to lay into, get told off dégoter (inf) - to dig up, find dégringoler to collapse, fall; to rush/fall down déguerpir (inf) - to clear off/out, scarper dégueulasse (fam adj) - lousy, rotten, filthy, disgusting déguster to taste, sample, savor; (inf) - to suffer, have a rough time le déjeuner lunch Food délaisser to abandon, quit, give up, neglect de l'après-midi in the afternoon Telling time se délecter to (take) delight in, to revel in délester (technical) to cut off power, relieve congestion / a burden; (transportation) to remove ballast se demander to wonder, to ask oneself démanger to itch (literally and fig) le démaquillant make-up remover Toiletries démarrer to start up, to move off, to get moving un démêlé dispute, quarrel se démener to thrash about, struggle, exert oneself démettre to dislocate, dismiss la demeure residence, home (old-fashioned, literary) demeurer to stay/live somewhere, to remain la démission resignation, abdication démodé (adj) - old-fashioned, out-of-date le déni denial (law and psychology) Denis Dennis French names Denise Denise French names la dent tooth Body le dentifrice toothpaste Toiletries le déodorant deodorant Toiletries déposer to lay/put/set down, dump, leave; to deposit; to file, register; to testify dépoussiérer to remove dust from (literally and fig) depuis un an for a year Optional liaisons déranger to disturb, bother, trouble; to mix/mess up déraper to skid, slip, soar derechef (literary, archaic adv, used in jest) - once again, once more de rien you're welcome Politeness dériver to divert, derive, stem from dessaisir (legal) - to remove le dessert dessert Dessert desservir to clear (away), to do a disservice to, to harm; (transportation) - to serve désuet (adj) - outdated, old-fashioned, quaint détaler (inf) - to bolt, take off, clear out, skedaddle détourner to divert, hijack; turn away, avert; embezzle se détraquer to break down, to be upset deux 2 Numbers deux cent un 201 Numbers deux cents 200 Numbers deux enfants two children Liaisons deux mille 2,000 Numbers deux millions 2,000,000 Numbers devancer to get/be/arrive/do ahead of devant in front of la déveine (informal) rotten luck deviner to guess, solve, foresee; to make out dévoiler to unveil, disclose, reveal des devoirs (m) homework School Diane Diane French names un diapason (music) range, tuning fork, pitch pipe un dico (inf) - dictionary (short for dictionnaire) un dictionnaire dictionary School un dicton saying, dicton, expression Didier French names la différence difference, identity, dissent différer to differ, be different; to postpone le digestif after-dinner drink Drinks dimanche Sunday Calendar la dinde turkey Meat le dîner dinner Food dingue (inf adj) - crazy, nuts, barmy direct (adj) - direct, straight les directions (f) directions Directions dirigeant (adj) - ruling, senior un dispositif device, mechanism; plan (of action, attack...) le dissolvant nail polish remover Toiletries dix 10 Numbers dix-huit 18 Numbers dix-neuf 19 Numbers dix-sept 17 Numbers une dizaine about ten le dodo beddy-bye, sleepy-time Baby talk le doigt finger Body Dominique Dominic, Dominica French names dompter to tame, subdue, master, overcome les DOM-TOM (acronym) - Départements d'outre-mer, Territoires d'outre-mer Acronyms donc (conjunction) so, therefore dorénavant (adv) - from now on, henceforth Dorothée Dorothy French names le dos back Body doté (adj) - equipped/endowed with la douane customs Travel doublé (adj) - lined, dubbed le doudou blankie, blanket Baby talk doué (adj) - talented, gifted, endowed with douillet (adj) soft, cozy, snug doux (adj) - sweet, soft, gentle, mild douze 12 Numbers un drap sheet, large towel dresser to stand up, raise, erect; to draw or write up la droguerie drugstore Shopping drôle (adj) funny, peculiar drôlement (inf) awfully, terribly, very Trèssynonyms du brouillard foggy Weather du matin in the morning Telling time du soir in the evening/at night Telling time du soleil sunny Weather du vent windy Weather Words Starting With E Word Definition Category E the letter E French alphabet l'eau (f) water Drinks l'eau dentifrice mouthwash Toiletries ébranler to shake, weaken, compromise écarter to move apart, to spread (open), to dismiss une échéance expiration/maturity/redemption/payment/due date; term un échec failure, defeat, setback, breakdown échouer to fail; to end up un éclair lightning, flash, (fig) - spark éclater to burst, blow up, explode; to break out; to make noise; to shine éclipser to eclipse, overshadow une école school School économies (f plural) savings, conservation écorce (fem noun) - bark, peel, skin écouler to sell écourter to shorten, cut short, curtail un écran screen écraser to crush, grind, squeeze; run over un écrivain writer Professions s'écrouler to fall down, collapse, crumble éculé (adj) - worn down, worn out écume (fem) foam, froth, scum, lather Édith Edith French names Édouard Edward French names édulcorer to water/tone down; to sweeten effacer to erase effectuer to carry out, to make (happen), to accomplish effondré (adj) - shattered, crushed, collapsed s'efforcer to try hard, endeavor, do one's best to effrayé (adj) - scared Mood effroyable appalling, horrifying égal (adj) equal, even, unchanging à l'égard de toward, concerning égards (m) consideration égaré (adj) - lost, stray, distraught une église church Directions Égyptien(ne) Egyptian Lang + Nat éhonté (adj) shameless, brazen un électricien electrician Professions Éléonore Eleanor French names Élisabeth Elizabeth French names Élise Elisa French names elle she, it Subject pronouns elle est she is Enchaînement Elle prend un livre She is taking a book Optional liaisons elles they Subject pronouns Elle s'appelle .... Her name is... Introductions Élodie French names éloigner to move away (transitive), remove, estrange, banish, dismiss élucubrations (f) wild imaginings emballer to pack; (inf) - to thrill; (fam) - to arrest; to seduce un embouteillage traffic jam, holdup, (fig) bottleneck embrouillé (adj) - confused, mixed-up Émile Emile French names Émilie Emily French names Emmanuel Emmanuel French names s'emparer to seize, snatch, grab, take over empiler to pile, stack up; (fam) - to have, swindle un(e) employé(e) employee Professions emprunter to borrow en arrière de in back of Directions en avant de in front of Directions en bas down Directions encastrer to embed, fit encenser to burn incense; to flatter, praise excessively enciente (adj) - pregnant encenser to flatter, praise excessively enchanté(e) (adj) - delighted (to meet you) Introductions une enchère bid encore une fois one more time Basic vocab un(e) énergumène firebrand en fait in fact, as a matter of fact enfin (adv) - at last, finally; (interj) - well, in a word engelures frostbite engourdir to make numb en haut up Directions ennuyé (adj) - bored, annoyed Mood ennuyeux (adj) - boring Personality en panne out of order, broken down Travel une enquête inquiry, investigation, survey enrayer to (keep in) check, curb, jam enrhume (adj) - having a cold en route on the way Driving en souffrance pending, awaiting delivery entacher to soil, taint, tarnish (fig); riddled, marred (with errors) entourer to surround, rally around un entracte (theater, cinéma) interval, intermission; (figurative) interruption, interlude, break entraîner to take, drag (a person), to lead, influence; to bring about, lead to; to entail, mean entre eux between them Enchaînement entretenir to maintain, keep, look after, support; (formal) to talk, converse entrouvrir to half-open éolien (adj) related to wind épais (adj) thick; (derog) dense, dull, thick éparpiller to scatter, disperse épater to amaze, impress une épaule shoulder Body épi spike, tuft une épicerie grocery store Shopping les épinards (m) spinach Vegetables une épingle pin Jewelry une épouse wife Love language un époux husband Love language une épreuve test, ordeal, hardship éprouver to feel, experience, suffer, sustain, test épuisé (adj) - worn-out, exhausted Éric Eric French names ès Contraction of en + les, used for university degrees. une escale stopover, port of call un escalier stairway Home escamoter evade, get around; to conjure away; (inf) - to steal les escargots (m) snails Meat escrime (f) fencing une esgourde archaic and slang for ear (used in jest) Espagnol(e), l'espagnol Spanish Lang + Nat une espèce species, kind, type; (inf pej) - some, stupid espiègle (adj) - mischievous, impish un espion spy une esquisse sketch, outline; beginnings, hint un essaim swarm (literally and figuratively) une essence petrol/gas, spirit, essence, gist, species of a tree essence ordinaire regular gas Driving l'essentiel the basics Basic vocab un essor rapid growth, development, boom; (formal/elegant) flight les essuie-glaces windshield wipers Driving est east Directions estimer to appraise, value, estimate; to (hold in) esteem; to consider, judge estival (adj) summer(y) un estomac stomach Body estomaquer (informal) to stun, stagger, flabbergast, gobsmack estomper to blur, dim, soften, become indistinct et and Basic vocab une étagère (book)shelf Furniture étaler to spread, strew et demie and a half Telling time été summer Calendar éternuer to sneeze Étienne Steven French names étirer to stretch étoffer to enrich, fill in, flesh out, extend, beef up, strengthen une étourderie absent-mindedness; (fam) - careless mistake et quart quarter after Telling time être coupé to be cut off On the phone un étudiant, une étudiante student Professions Eugène Eugene French names Européen(ne) European Lang + Nat évanouir to faint, pass out; to disappear éveillé (adj) - alert, bright, awake éventuellement (adv) - possibly, if need be un évier sink Furniture exact (adj) exact, right, accurate, correct; on time exagérer to exaggerate, overdo un examen test School exaucer to fulfill, grant, answer excellent excellent Bonsynonyms exceptionnel exceptional Bonsynonyms exceptionnellement exceptionally Très synonyms excité (adj) - hyper(active) Mood une excursion trip Driving excursionner to go on trips, walks excusez-moi excuse me Politeness Excusez-moi de vous déranger I'm sorry to disturb you Politeness exemplaire (adj) - model, exemplary; un exemplaire - copy exigeant (adj) demanding, exacting une expérience experience, experiment exprès (adv) - on purpose, deliberately un express espresso Drinks exprimer to express extraordinaire extraordinary Bonsynonyms extraordinairement extraordinarily Trèssynonyms extrêmement extremely Trèssynonyms Words Starting With F Word Definition Category F the letter F French alphabet fabriquer to make, produce; fabricate, make up; (inf) to do, to be up to fabuler to fantasize la fac (inf, short for faculté) - university fâché (adj) - angry Mood faible (adj) - weak Personality la faim hunger Food fainéant (adj) lazy, idle faire le plein to fill it up Driving faire sisite to sit Baby talk se faire les ongles to do one's nails Toiletries au fait by the way en fait in fact, as a matter of fact un faix burden une falaise cliff falot (adj) - colorless, wan, pale un falot lantern fameux adj before noun) - first-rate; real; famous, much talked-about une famille family Family fané (adj) - faded, wilted le fard make-up, greasepaint le fard à joues blusher Toiletries le fard à paupières eyeshadow Toiletries farfelu (inf adj) - cranky, scatty, hare-brained, eccentric fastueux luxurious, sumptuous fatigué (adj) - tired Mood faufiler to baste, tack fauteur one who does something (usually bad) fêlé (adj) cracked, (informal) crazy une femme wife, woman Family une femme de chambre maid Professions une fenêtre window Furniture fermé (adj) - closed Travel la fermeté firmness, solidness, confidence féru (adj) - interested in / keen on la fesse buttock le feu fire, stoplight, stove burner une feuille de papier piece of paper Office feuilleter to leaf through, skim; to roll out (pastry, dough) le feu rouge stop light Driving les feux de route high beams Driving le feux de stop brake lights Driving février February Calendar fiable (adj) accurate, reliable, dependable fiançailles (f) engagement un(e) fiancé(e) fiance Love language une ficelle string, type of bread ficher (slang) - to do, give, put, leave fichu (informal adj) - lousy, rotten, foul; done for, bust; put together, dressed; damned figurer to represent, to appear le fil dentaire dental floss Toiletries une fille daughter, girl Family un film a movie Hobbies un fils son Family un fixe-cravate tie-clip Jewelry flairer to smell, sense le flamand Flemish Lang + Nat un fléau curse, plague, bane; flail la flemme (inf) - laziness une fleur flower Love language un flic (inf) - cop, copper, bobby un flingue gun, rifle un flocon flake, fleck flopée (informal) - a bunch, tons, loads, masses Florence Florence French names flotter to float, drift, hang (in the air), flutter, hover fofolle (inf adj) - scatty, crazy le foin hay follement (inf) incredibly Très synonyms foncé (invariable adj) - dark (color) foncer to charge at or into; to make darker; (inf) - to rush, tear, charge along foncièrement (adv) - fundamentally, basically un(e) fonctionnaire civil servant Professions le foot, football soccer Hobbies le footballaméricain football Hobbies un forain fairground entertainer, carnie forcément (adv) - necessarily, inevitably une forme form, shape Formidable! Great! Accent affectif fort (adj) - strong Personality un fossé (lit, fig) - ditch, gulf, gap des fossettes dimples Descriptions la foudre lightning un fouet whip, whisk la fougue ardor, spirit la fouille search, excavation, dig un fouillis jumble, muddle un foulard scarf Accessories un four oven Furniture un four à micro-ondes microwave oven une fourchette fork Dishes fourrer to stuff, fill; (info) - to put, stick, shove la fourrière dog pound, impound yard fourvoyer to mislead, get someone lost, lead astray frais (adj) - cool, crisp, fresh une fraise strawberry Fruit une framboise raspberry Fruit Français(e), le français French Lang + Nat franchir to cross, get over, overcome Francis Francis French names Franck Frank French names François Francis French names Françoise Frances French names francophone (adj) - French-speaking un/e Francophone (proper noun) - French speaker à la bonne franquette simple, without any fuss frapper to hit, stab, strike, knock frasques (f) escapades Frédéric Frederick French names fredonner to hum les freins brakes Driving frêle (adj) - flimsy, fragile, frail frémir to quake, tremble, shudder, shiver un frère brother Family friand de (adj) - partial to, fond of le fric (fam) - cash, bread, lolly le frigo (inf) - fridge (short for réfrigérateur) Apocopes frileux (adj) - sensitive to cold; (econ) - overcautious, nervous une friperie used/second-hand clothing store un frisson shiver, shudder, thrill les frites (f) fries Food froid (adj) - cold, unfriendly Weather,Personality froisser to crumple, offend frôler to brush against, skim, verge on le fromage cheese Dairy le fromage blanc cream cheese Dairy se frotter to rub (one another), to fight; (slang) - to have sex le fruit fruit Fruit fugace (adj) - fleeting, transient fuguer (inf) - to run away, run off fuir to flee, avoid, fly off, shun, shirk fulgurant (figurative adj) lightning, dazzling, blinding, searing futé (adj) - wily, crafty, cunning, sly Continue Reading