French Conversation · Level 89
60 words
French word
pointe
Pronunciation
IPA/pwɛ̃t/
Meaning
- feminine nountip
Example
La pointe du couteau est cassée.
The tip of the knife is broken.
More examples
Cette entreprise est à la pointe de la technologie.
This company is at the forefront of technology.
Core concept
A pointed tip that marks where an object ends, attention peaks, or a small amount is gathered.
Common phrases
à la pointe de la technologie
at the forefront of technology
la pointe de la flèche
the tip of the arrow
Similar words
bout: The end or edge of an object.
extrémité: The very end of an object.
Definition in French
Partie la plus fine et effilée d'un objet, ou point culminant; employé aussi pour désigner une petite quantité dans des locutions idiomatiques.
Word origin
French pointe developed from Old French pointe, ultimately linked to Latin pungere, 'to prick', with physical sharpness extending to figurative uses.
Usage tips
- In small-quantity expressions, pointe usually appears with de, as in une pointe de sel, rather than the English pattern 'a point of salt'.