French Conversation · Level 52
75 words
French word
urgence
Pronunciation
IPA/yʁʒɑ̃s/
Meaning
- feminine nounemergency
Example
C'est une urgence.
It's an emergency.
More examples
Les urgences sont surchargées ce soir.
The emergency department is overcrowded tonight.
Core concept
A narrowing window of time that pushes an action to the front of the queue.
Common phrases
en cas d'urgence
in case of emergency
aller aux urgences
go to the emergency room
le service des urgences
the emergency department
Similar words
danger: An imminent threat of harm to people or property.
accident: An unexpected event that causes injury or damage.
panne: A mechanical or equipment failure that stops normal operation.
crise: A serious period of disorder or difficulty requiring major action.
Definition in French
Besoin pressant d'intervention ou de décision en peu de temps, considéré comme prioritaire.
Word origin
The French noun urgence continues Latin urgentia, related to urgere, 'to press', whose meaning developed into the idea of requiring prompt action.
Usage tips
- Urgence names the situation, while urgent or urgente describes something pressing; these forms are not interchangeable in French sentences.
Other meanings
- urgencynoun
Related words
- urgenturgentadjective
- urgemmenturgentlyadverb