French word

vrai

Pronunciation

IPA/vʁɛ/

Meaning

  • adjectivetrue

Example

C'est une vraie histoire.

It's a true story.

Illustration for vrai (true)

More examples

Est-ce vrai que tu as gagné ?

Is it true that you won?

Core concept

A clear object or statement with no false layer covering what it really is.

Common phrases

  • c'est vrai

    That's true

  • un vrai ami

    a true friend

  • vrai ou faux

    true or false

Similar words

véritable: Genuine rather than fake or an imitation.
réel: Existing in reality rather than only in the imagination.
authentique: Authentic and unchanged rather than fabricated or altered.

Definition in French

Qui est conforme à la vérité ou à la réalité, et non faux.

Word origin

French vrai comes from Latin verus through Old French forms such as verai, with the modern form developing by regular historical change.

Usage tips

  • Before a noun, vrai can mean genuine or characteristic, as in un vrai ami, while its feminine form is vraie.

Other meanings

  • genuineadjective
  • correctadjective
  • realadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word