French word

nouvelle

Pronunciation

IPA/nuvɛl/

Meaning

  • adjectivenew

Example

J'ai acheté une nouvelle voiture.

I bought a new car.

Illustration for nouvelle (new)

More examples

C'est une nouvelle idée.

It is a new idea.

Core concept

Something newly arrived that can be noticed as an object, reported as information, or read as a brief story.

Common phrases

  • une nouvelle voiture

    a new car

  • une nouvelle maison

    a new house

  • une nouvelle idée

    a new idea

Similar words

nouveau: Describes something newly created or not previously present.
récent: Describes something that appeared or happened not long ago.
neuf: Describes something newly made and not yet used.
moderne: Describes something shaped by the technology or styles of the present age.

Definition in French

Signifie récent (forme féminine de nouveau) ; nom féminin signifiant une information récente, souvent employé au pluriel « des nouvelles » pour parler de quelqu'un.

Word origin

French nouvelle developed from the feminine of nouveau, whose history goes back through Old French to Latin novus; its noun uses include news and a short literary narrative.

Usage tips

  • The plural des nouvelles commonly means news or someone's latest updates, whereas une nouvelle can mean one specific item of news or a short story.

Other meanings

  • newsnoun
  • short storynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word