French word

primaire

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁimɛʁ/

Meaning

  • adjectivebasic

Example

Les besoins primaires sont l'eau et la nourriture.

The basic needs are water and food.

Illustration for primaire (basic)

More examples

L'école primaire commence à huit heures.

Elementary school starts at eight o'clock.

Core concept

The first essential layer on which later parts or stages depend.

Common phrases

  • besoins primaires

    basic needs

  • soins primaires

    primary care

  • école primaire

    elementary school

Similar words

essentiel: Necessary for something to exist or function.
fondamental: Relating to the basic foundation of something.
principal: Most important or prominent among several things.
élémentaire: Very basic and simple, serving as a starting point for learning.

Definition in French

Qui est fondamental ou élémentaire et sert de base à quelque chose.

Word origin

French primaire comes from Latin primarius, meaning "first," formed from primus with the suffix -arius.

Usage tips

  • In French, primaire agrees in number but not gender: primaire is used for both masculine and feminine singular nouns.

Other meanings

  • mainadjective
  • elementaryadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • primairementprimarilyadverb

Word lists with this word