French Conversation · Level 73
60 words
French word
affluent
Pronunciation
IPA/aflyɑ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nountributary
Example
On a découvert un petit affluent près du village.
A small tributary was discovered near the village.
More examples
On voit souvent un affluent au début de la vallée.
One often sees a tributary at the beginning of the valley.
Core concept
A tributary flowing toward and merging with the main river downstream.
Common phrases
un affluent de montagne
a mountain tributary
Similar words
ruisseau: A short, narrow stream with little depth.
rivière: A river that runs into the sea or another river.
bras: A separate channel branching away from a main river.
torrent: A swift mountain stream that flows strongly for a short time.
Definition in French
Cours d'eau qui se jette dans un autre cours d'eau, souvent plus grand.
Word origin
The noun comes through learned French usage from Latin affluentem, the present participle of affluere, 'to flow toward', formed from ad- and fluere.
Usage tips
- French affluent means a tributary here, unlike English affluent, which usually means wealthy.
Related words
- affluerflow intoverb
- affluenceinfluxnoun