Beyond Très: Other Words for ‘Very’ in French Like a Pro

Beyond Très: Mastering "Other Words for Very in French"

Learning to express intensity in French beyond the basic très is crucial for sounding fluent and nuanced. This guide will equip you with alternative words and phrases to elevate your French vocabulary.

Why Expand Beyond Très?

While très is a perfectly acceptable and widely used intensifier, relying solely on it can make your French sound repetitive and basic. Expanding your vocabulary allows you to:

• Express shades of meaning more precisely.
• Make your speech and writing more engaging and interesting.
• Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the French language.

Categories of "Very" Alternatives

We can group alternatives to très into different categories based on their strength and usage:

Adverbs for Direct Replacement

These adverbs directly replace très before adjectives or adverbs.

• Beaucoup: Means "a lot," "much," or "very." It’s generally used with verbs, but can also modify adjectives, though less frequently than très.
• Vraiment: Means "really" or "truly." Adds a sense of authenticity.
• Fort/e: Means "strongly" or "very." It’s more common in certain expressions (e.g., fort possible – very possible). Note the agreement of forte with feminine nouns.
• Extrêmement: Means "extremely." Adds a higher degree of intensity than très.
• Particulièrement: Means "particularly." Emphasizes a specific aspect or characteristic.

Intensifying Adverbs with Specific Connotations

These words carry a slightly different nuance than a simple "very."

• Incroyablement: Means "incredibly." Conveys a sense of disbelief or amazement.
• Étonnamment: Means "surprisingly." Indicates something is unexpected.
• Terriblement: Means "terribly" or "awfully." Can be used positively or negatively depending on the context (e.g., terriblement bon – terribly good = very good, in an exaggerated way).
• Drôlement: Means "strangely" or "funnily." Primarily used in colloquial French and adds a touch of humor.

Phrases for Stronger Emphasis

These are multi-word expressions that offer a more emphatic way of saying "very."

• À un point que: Means "to the point that" or "so much that." Indicates a very high degree. Example: Il est fatigué à un point qu’il ne peut plus marcher. (He is so tired that he can’t walk anymore.)
• Tellement: Similar to "so" or "so much." Example: Elle est tellement belle! (She is so beautiful!). Note that tellement doesn’t change based on gender like beaucoup.
• Au plus haut point: Means "to the highest degree." This is a formal and emphatic phrase.
• Plus que tout: Means "more than anything." While not directly translating to "very," it emphasizes the importance or intensity of something.

Using Prefixes for Amplification

French utilizes prefixes to boost the intensity of adjectives.

• Super-: Similar to "super-" in English. Example: super content (super happy).
• Hyper-: Similar to "hyper-" in English. Example: hyperactif (hyperactive).
• Ultra-: Similar to "ultra-" in English. Example: ultra-moderne (ultra-modern).

Examples and Contextual Usage

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example	Context
Vraiment	Really, truly	C’est vraiment intéressant.	Emphasizing sincerity.
Extrêmement	Extremely	Il est extrêmement talentueux.	Indicating a high level of skill.
Incroyablement	Incredibly	Elle est incroyablement gentille.	Expressing amazement at someone’s kindness.
Terriblement	Terribly, awfully	J’ai terriblement faim.	Used when faim (hunger) or soif (thirst) are strong.
À un point que	To the point that	Il a travaillé à un point qu’il est épuisé.	Showing a high degree of effort leading to exhaustion.
Tellement	So, so much	Le film était tellement émouvant.	Describing a film as extremely touching.
Super-	Super-	Ce restaurant est super sympa!	Colloquial, expressing that a restaurant is very nice.

Register and Formality

It’s crucial to consider the level of formality when choosing an alternative to très.

• Formal: Extrêmement, Particulièrement, Au plus haut point.
• Neutral: Vraiment, Beaucoup, Fort/e, Tellement.
• Informal: Drôlement, Super-, Hyper-, Ultra-.

Be mindful of your audience and the situation when selecting the appropriate intensifier. Using a formal word in a casual conversation might sound stilted, while using slang in a business presentation could be unprofessional.

So, go ahead and experiment with these other words for very in french. The next time you want to say something is *really* good, try reaching for something more colorful. Bonne chance!