French Conversation · Level 24
90 words
French word
portrait
Pronunciation
IPA/pɔʁtʁɛ/
Meaning
- masculine nounportrait
Example
C'est un portrait de ma grand-mère.
It is a portrait of my grandmother.
More examples
Elle a accroché un portrait de ses enfants dans le salon.
She hung a portrait of her children in the living room.
Core concept
A visual likeness of one person, usually organized around the head and face, whether artistic or photographic.
Common phrases
un portrait de famille
a family portrait
Similar words
photo: An image recorded by a camera to capture a moment or someone's appearance.
photo de profil: A face photo displayed on a social media or account profile to represent its owner.
photo d'identité: A standardized face photo required for official documents or passports.
visage: A person's face, including features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Definition in French
Représentation d'une personne, le plus souvent centrée sur son visage ou sa tête, visant à rendre son apparence individuelle.
Word origin
Portrait is related to the Old French verb portraire and traces back to Latin protrahere, a formation associated with bringing a likeness out for view.
Usage tips
- In social-media contexts, photo de profil is the usual term for a profile picture, while portrait has a more artistic or formal tone.
Opposites
- paysagelandscapenoun
Related words
- autoportraitself-portraitnoun
- portraitisteportrait painternoun