French Conversation · Level 45
75 words
French word
ordinaire
Pronunciation
IPA/ɔʁdinɛʁ/
Meaning
- adjectiveordinary
Example
C'est un jour ordinaire.
It's an ordinary day.
More examples
La fête d'hier n'était pas ordinaire.
Yesterday's party was not ordinary.
Core concept
An everyday object or event blending into its surroundings because nothing makes it remarkable.
Common phrases
un jour ordinaire
an ordinary day
une vie ordinaire
an ordinary life
Similar words
normal: Conforming to accepted standards or reasonable expectations.
courant: Frequently occurring or widely encountered in everyday life.
commun: Shared by many people or found in many places; commonplace.
Definition in French
Qui n'est pas remarquable ni exceptionnel et qui se rencontre fréquemment dans la vie courante.
Word origin
The adjective ordinaire was inherited through Old French from Latin ordinarius, whose connection with ordo, 'order', led to the sense of what is normal or customary.
Usage tips
- Depending on context, ordinaire can be neutral for 'everyday' or mildly negative for 'mediocre' or 'commonplace', so tone matters.
Other meanings
- commonplaceadjective
- commonadjective
- usualadjective
Opposites
- extraordinaireextraordinaryadjective
- exceptionnelexceptionaladjective
Related words
- ordinairementordinarilyadverb