French Conversation · Level 128
45 words
French word
trame
Pronunciation
IPA/tʁam/
Meaning
- feminine nounplot
Example
La trame du roman est captivante.
The plot of the novel is captivating.
More examples
La trame du film est difficile à suivre.
The film's storyline is difficult to follow.
Core concept
An invisible thread linking scenes and paragraphs so the work's overall structure becomes visible.
Common phrases
la trame du récit
the story's plot
la trame narrative
the narrative structure
la trame du film
the film's storyline
Similar words
histoire: The complete story told through connected people and events.
récit: A narrative that recounts facts or events in sequence.
scénario: A planned sequence of scenes and events for a story or program.
Definition in French
Fil conducteur reliant les différentes parties d'une œuvre, d'un récit ou d'une démarche et révélant sa structure.
Word origin
French trame comes from Latin trama, the woven weft, and developed a figurative sense for the structural thread of a story or work.
Usage tips
- Trame is feminine, so the standard form is la trame; for a story's plot, intrigue is often more natural in ordinary conversation.