French Conversation · Level 141
30 words
French word
rouage
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁwaʒ/
Meaning
- masculine noungear
Example
On a remplacé un rouage cassé dans la montre.
We replaced a broken gear in the watch.
More examples
Il faut comprendre les rouages administratifs pour obtenir le permis.
You need to understand the administrative machinery to obtain the permit.
Core concept
Interlocking toothed wheels that pass motion through a mechanism and alter its speed or direction.
Common phrases
les rouages administratifs
administrative machinery
un rouage mécanique
mechanical gear
Similar words
mécanisme: An arrangement of parts or elements that creates a particular effect.
système: A connected arrangement of elements functioning as an integrated whole.
fonctionnement: The manner in which something works or operates.
structure: The way parts are arranged and linked within a whole.
Definition in French
Ensemble de roues dentées qui transmettent et transforment le mouvement à l'intérieur d'un mécanisme.
Word origin
French rouage derives from Old French roue, from Latin rota, with the suffix -age forming a noun for a wheel-based mechanism.
Usage tips
- In figurative use, les rouages often means the inner workings of an organization or system rather than physical machine parts.
Other meanings
- mechanismnoun