French Conversation · Level 80
60 words
French word
idylle
Pronunciation
IPA/idil/
Meaning
- feminine nounromance
Example
Ils vivent une idylle depuis trois mois.
They have been carrying on a romance for three months.
More examples
Ils ont dû cacher leur idylle pendant des mois.
They had to hide their romance for months.
Core concept
A soft romantic scene that seems almost pastoral because nothing interrupts its peaceful sweetness.
Common phrases
une idylle secrète
a secret romance
cacher son idylle
hide one's romance
Similar words
histoire d'amour: The events and relationship that make up two people's love story.
relation: A connection or relationship between people.
Definition in French
Relation amoureuse brève, douce et idéalisée, souvent exprimée dans un registre littéraire ou poétique.
Word origin
Idylle is a learned borrowing ultimately based on Greek eidyllion, which referred to a short poem about pastoral life.
Usage tips
- Idylle has a literary or poetic tone, while histoire d'amour or relation is usually more neutral in everyday French.