French Conversation · Level 17
90 words
French word
dialecte
Pronunciation
IPA/djalɛkt/
Meaning
- masculine noundialect
Example
Je ne comprends pas ce dialecte.
I do not understand that dialect.
More examples
Elle parle en dialecte avec sa famille.
She speaks in a dialect with her family.
Core concept
A shared local way of speaking whose familiar words and turns of phrase may puzzle outsiders.
Common phrases
parler en dialecte
speak in a dialect
un dialecte local
a local dialect
dialecte maternel
native dialect
Similar words
patois: A strongly regional, colloquial way of speaking with local words and expressions.
langue: A language system shared by a community, including its vocabulary and grammar.
accent: A characteristic pronunciation pattern that affects how speech sounds.
registre: A level of formality in speech suited to the setting and audience.
Definition in French
Variante régionale ou sociale d'une langue, souvent reconnaissable par des mots ou des tournures locales.
Word origin
The French noun dialecte comes through Latin dialectus from Greek διάλεκτος, a term for a way of speaking.
Usage tips
- French dialecte is masculine, so standard forms include un dialecte and ce dialecte.
Opposites
- français standardstandard Frenchnoun
- langue nationalenational languagenoun
Related words
- dialectaldialectaladjective
- dialectalementdialectallyadverb