French Conversation · Level 19
89 words
French word
fou
Pronunciation
IPA/fu/
Meaning
- adjectivecrazy
Example
Il a l'air fou.
He looks crazy.
More examples
Il est fou de musique.
He is crazy about music.
Core concept
A person, action, or feeling that has crossed the normal limits of rational control.
Common phrases
être fou de
be crazy about
fou de joie
overjoyed
un fou rire
an uncontrollable fit of laughter
Similar words
dingue: Far outside common sense or logic, and strikingly bizarre.
cinglé: Seeming to have lost sanity and behaving abnormally.
dément: Unable to control intense, irrational behavior.
Definition in French
Décrit une personne ou une chose dépourvue de raison, extravagante ou excessive; peut aussi qualifier une passion ou une intensité très grande.
Word origin
French fou developed from Old French fol, which came from Latin follis; the original association with an empty-headed person led to the modern sense of irrationality and later to meanings of excess.
Usage tips
- In casual speech, Tu es fou can be playful, but it can also sound insulting, so the relationship and tone determine how it is received.
Other meanings
- madmannoun
- fanaticaladjective
- wildadjective
Opposites
- raisonnablereasonableadjective
- lucidelucidadjective