French word

espoir

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛspwaʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhope

Example

Il faut garder l'espoir.

We must hold on to hope.

Illustration for espoir (hope)

More examples

Elle a encore de l'espoir.

She still has hope.

Core concept

A small shoot pushing through soil represents a desired future that remains possible.

Common phrases

  • garder l'espoir

    hold on to hope

  • avoir de l'espoir

    have hope

  • donner de l'espoir

    give hope

Similar words

souhait: A desire for something to become reality.
optimisme: A positive outlook about how things will develop.
confiance: A sense of trust in someone or something's reliability.
attente: A state of eagerly awaiting something.

Definition in French

Attente confiante qu'un événement désiré se réalise.

Word origin

French espoir comes from Old French esper and ultimately from Latin sperare, 'to hope,' and belongs to the same family as espérer.

Usage tips

  • French uses avoir de l'espoir, garder l'espoir, and donner de l'espoir, while espérer is the related verb.

Other meanings

  • prospectnoun
  • expectationnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word