French word

navet

Pronunciation

IPA/navɛ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounturnip

Example

J'ai acheté un navet au marché.

I bought a turnip at the market.

Illustration for navet (turnip)

More examples

J'ai épluché un navet pour la soupe.

I peeled a turnip for the soup.

Core concept

A harvested root whose ordinary image extends to a film or play dismissed as worthless.

Common phrases

  • acheter un navet

    buy a turnip

  • éplucher un navet

    peel a turnip

  • faire cuire un navet

    cook a turnip

Similar words

pomme de terre: A starchy underground tuber prepared by boiling, baking, or roasting.
carotte: A long, typically orange root eaten either raw or cooked.
radis: A small, spicy-tasting round root commonly served raw as a garnish or in salads.
betterave: A red-pigmented round root used in salads and cooked dishes.

Definition in French

Légume à racine comestible; au sens familier, désigne aussi une œuvre (surtout un film ou une pièce) jugée de mauvaise qualité.

Word origin

French navet is inherited from the Old French vegetable name, ultimately from Latin napus; the figurative meaning transfers that name from an edible root to a bad film or play.

Usage tips

  • As a criticism of a film or play, un navet is colloquial and pejorative rather than suitable for formal writing.

Other meanings

  • dudnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word