French Conversation · Level 170
15 words
French word
ras
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁa/
Meaning
- adverbclose
Example
Le ballon passe ras du mur.
The ball passes very close to the wall.
More examples
La voiture est passée à ras du trottoir.
The car passed right along the sidewalk.
Core concept
A moving object skims a boundary with almost no gap.
Common phrases
à ras du trottoir
right along the sidewalk
couper ras
cut close
Similar words
à ras: Directly against a surface or object, or very close to it.
à ras bord: Filled right up to the rim or edge.
presque: Almost in that state, but not quite there yet.
Definition in French
Indique qu'un objet ou une action est très proche de toucher, de dépasser ou de franchir une limite.
Word origin
French ras comes from Old French ras and ultimately Latin rasus, the past participle of radere, 'to scrape', referring to something made smooth or level.
Usage tips
- In passer ras du mur, ras is followed by du mur, while à ras de marks a position right up against or level with something.