French Conversation · Level 58
75 words
French word
vagabond
Pronunciation
IPA/vagabɔ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounwanderer
Example
Le vagabond marche toute la nuit.
The wanderer walks all night.
More examples
Il parle souvent au vagabond du coin.
He often talks to the local vagabond.
Core concept
A figure continually on the road, carrying no stable home and belonging nowhere for long.
Common phrases
un vagabond sans-abri
a homeless vagabond
un vagabond de la rue
a street vagabond
Similar words
sans-abri: A homeless person temporarily staying outdoors or in temporary accommodation.
mendiant: A person who solicits money or goods from people in the street.
itinérant: A person who moves from place to place for work or travel without a settled residence.
Definition in French
Désigne une personne qui vit en errance, sans domicile fixe, souvent perçue de façon péjorative.
Word origin
The French noun vagabond is an inherited borrowing from Old French vagabond, ultimately based on Latin vagabundus, 'wandering.'
Usage tips
- Vagabond can sound pejorative, so sans-abri is often a more neutral choice for a person without housing.