French Conversation · Level 2
83 words
French word
intonation
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛ̃tonasjɔ̃/
Meaning
- feminine nounintonation
Example
L'intonation change le sens de la phrase.
Intonation changes the meaning of the sentence.
More examples
Change ton intonation pour montrer que tu es content.
Change your intonation to show that you are happy.
Core concept
A vocal melody that moves across spoken words and shapes their force or nuance.
Common phrases
changer l'intonation
change the intonation
faire attention à l'intonation
pay attention to the intonation
Similar words
ton: Vocal pitch and speaking manner used to show feeling, commands, or questions.
accent: A speaker's pronunciation pattern shaped by their regional or native language background.
rythme: The beat and spacing of speech created by its speed and breaks.
hauteur: The relative highness or lowness of a voice or sound.
Definition in French
Caractéristique mélodique de la parole, constituée des variations de hauteur et d'intensité qui donnent sens et nuance à une phrase.
Word origin
French intonation comes from Latin intonatio, formed from intonare, meaning 'to sound' or 'to resound'.
Usage tips
- Intonation is feminine, so the standard forms are une intonation and l'intonation.
Other meanings
- inflectionnoun
- tonenoun
Opposites
- monotoniemonotonynoun
Related words
- intonerintonateverb
- intonationnelintonationaladjective