French Conversation · Level 27
90 words
French word
illusion
Pronunciation
IPA/ilyzjɔ̃/
Meaning
- feminine nounillusion
Example
Ne te fais pas d'illusions.
Don't have any illusions.
More examples
L'illusion d'optique m'a trompé.
The optical illusion fooled me.
Core concept
A convincing picture in the mind that presents something unreal as real.
Common phrases
se faire des illusions
to delude oneself
illusion d'optique
optical illusion
perdre ses illusions
to lose one's illusions
Similar words
espoir: A feeling that something desired will come true.
imagination: The act of picturing things that are unreal or have not happened.
rêve: A series of images experienced during sleep.
Definition in French
Croyance ou représentation mentale erronée qui fait croire réel ce qui ne l'est pas.
Word origin
French illusion comes from Latin illusio, from illudere, meaning "to mock or deceive," reflecting the idea of being misled by appearances.
Usage tips
- In se faire des illusions, the plural usually refers to false hopes or expectations, while une illusion can also denote a perceptual illusion.