French Conversation · Level 18
89 words
French word
cause
Pronunciation
IPA/koz/
Meaning
- feminine nouncause
Example
Quelle est la cause de cet incendie ?
What is the cause of this fire?
More examples
Les causes fréquentes d'un rhume sont le virus et le froid.
The common causes of a cold are the virus and cold weather.
Core concept
A visible link from an event back to the factor that produced it.
Common phrases
les causes fréquentes
common causes
la cause sous-jacente
underlying cause
Similar words
raison: A reason for an action or event, or grounds for a judgment.
facteur: A condition or element that affects the final result.
origine: The point, place, or state from which something begins.
Definition in French
Facteur objectif ou élément explicatif qui permet de comprendre pourquoi un phénomène s'est produit.
Word origin
French cause comes from Latin causa through Old French, retaining older senses of reason, purpose, and legal ground while developing its modern sense of an explanatory factor.
Usage tips
- Cause is feminine, so the usual forms are la cause and une cause.