French word

d'abord

Pronunciation

IPA/dabɔʁ/

Meaning

  • adverbfirst

Example

D'abord, je vais manger.

First, I'm going to eat.

Illustration for d'abord (first)

More examples

Tout d'abord, merci d'être venu.

First of all, thank you for coming.

Core concept

The first step or point moves to the front of a sequence.

Common phrases

  • tout d'abord

    first of all

Similar words

tout d'abord: Strongly emphasizes what is done or said at the beginning of a discussion or activity.
pour commencer: Colloquially introduces the first thing to do or mention when starting something.
en premier: Indicates that something comes first in order or position.

Definition in French

D'abord sert à indiquer qu'une action ou une idée arrive en premier dans une suite, souvent en tête d'une phrase.

Word origin

D'abord combines the preposition de with abord, an Old French word for approach or the point of coming alongside, and it developed the sense of first in order.

Usage tips

  • At the start of a sentence, d'abord is commonly followed by a comma, especially when it introduces a sequence.

Other meanings

  • at firstadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word