Do You Know These 15 French Words?

This transcript is edited for readability. It retains the lesson’s French models, explanations and humor; punctuation and English grammar are corrected. English translations are checked. Bracketed notes clarify factual meanings, register or caption errors; they are editorial additions rather than words spoken in the recording.

00:00 — Introduction and the 15-word challenge

Do you think your French is great? Let’s put it to the test! I’ve picked 15 advanced French words that might challenge you. If you know them all, bravo! If not, this is the perfect moment to learn new vocabulary and level up your French. Master these words and you’ll impress any French local. Are you ready? Let’s get started.

00:26 — 1. Bousculer

Let’s start with a strong word: bousculer. A dynamic verb meaning to push someone or disrupt a situation. Cet événement inattendu a complètement bousculé ses plans. — This unexpected event completely disrupted his plans. You can use French synonyms such as heurter and secouer. [Heurter means to hit or bump into, and can also mean to upset; secouer means to shake or shake up. Choose by context.]

Don’t forget to write down the words you know and share your score out of 15 in the comments afterwards.

00:52 — 2. Aisé

Second word: aisé. It’s a versatile word: it can mean “easy” or describe someone financially comfortable. The masculine adjective is aisé; the feminine is aisée, with an extra e.

Apprendre une nouvelle langue n’est pas toujours aisé, mais avec de la pratique, cela devient naturel. — Learning a new language isn’t always easy, but with practice it becomes natural.

Il vient d’une famille aisée. — He comes from a well-off family.

The synonyms facile and riche refer respectively to “easy” and “financially comfortable”. [Riche means rich; aisé can describe a more modest level of financial comfort.]

01:33 — 3. Écorcher

Next word: écorcher. It’s a verb that can mean slightly injuring someone’s skin or mispronouncing a word. Il s’est accidentellement écorché le bras sur une branche d’arbre. — He accidentally scraped his arm on a tree branch. Synonyms can be blesser and abîmer. [These are broader related words: blesser means to injure, and abîmer means to damage. The graphic’s “to flay” for abîmer is incorrect; écorcher itself also has the stronger meaning of removing skin.]

01:59 — 4. Se méfier

Next one: se méfier. An important verb meaning to be wary or cautious. Tu devrais te méfier des offres qui semblent trop belles pour être vraies. — You should be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. The synonym is douter. [Douter de means to doubt; se méfier de emphasizes distrust or being on your guard.]

02:15 — 5. Tracas

Let’s talk about tracas. This masculine noun captures the small daily worries that can pile up and distract you: running late, forgetting something important, or dealing with life’s little hassles. Tracas sums it up perfectly. Il a trop de tracas pour se concentrer. — He has too many worries to concentrate. Synonyms: souci, ennui. [In this sense, souci means a worry and ennui means trouble or a hassle. Ennui can also mean boredom.]

If you know more than five of these, I can easily say you’re advanced. Keep going and watch till the end. I believe in you!

02:56 — 6. Impliquer

Let’s see the next one: impliquer. A useful verb for talking about involvement and responsibility, but it has another meaning too.

Elle est très impliquée dans son travail caritatif. — She’s very involved in her charity work. French synonym shown: engagé. [Here the feminine form engagée matches elle; the related verb is s’engager.]

Il a été impliqué dans un scandale. — He was implicated in a scandal. French synonyms: compromettre, mêler. [To compromise or implicate; to involve or mix into something. The verb forms need to fit the sentence—for example, être mêlé à un scandale.]

03:26 — 7. Pertinent

Now let’s continue with an adjective: pertinent. Perfect for spot-on comments or ideas. The masculine form is pertinent and the feminine is pertinente. Sa question était vraiment pertinente pour la discussion. — His or her question was really relevant to the discussion. Synonyms: judicieux, approprié. [Judicieux means well-judged or sensible; approprié means appropriate.]

03:47 — 8. Frissonner

Next one: frissonner. A verb that captures those little tremors you feel from a chilly breeze or a sudden wave of emotion. Elle a frissonné en entendant la nouvelle. — She shivered when she heard the news. French synonyms: trembler, tressaillir. [To tremble; to give a sudden start or shudder.]

04:11 — 9. S’épanouir

Next is a beautiful verb: s’épanouir, about growth and blossoming. Elle s’épanouit vraiment dans son nouveau travail. — She’s really flourishing in her new job. Synonyms: se sentir bien, se développer. [Related expressions: to feel good; to develop. Flourishing involves more than simply feeling good.]

04:30 — 10. Égarer

Next is another verb: égarer. It means to misplace an object; s’égarer means to lose your way. J’ai égaré mes clés ce matin. — I misplaced my keys this morning. The video lists perdre and disperser as synonyms. [Perdre means to lose and fits this example. Disperser means to scatter or disperse; it is not a synonym for misplacing your keys.]

Curious to discover the last five advanced words? Let’s check them out.

04:56 — 11. Murmure

Murmure. It’s a masculine noun describing a soft, quiet sound, like a low voice or rustling: almost secretive or mysterious. Il a murmuré pour que personne d’autre n’entende. — He spoke softly so no one else could hear. [This example uses the related verb murmurer; murmure is the noun.] French synonym: chuchotement, “whisper” or “whispering”.

05:20 — 12. Fardeau

Next is fardeau, a masculine noun describing a heavy load, physical or figurative. Il porte un lourd fardeau depuis des années. — He has been carrying a heavy burden for years. French synonyms: poids, contrainte. [Poids means weight or burden; contrainte means a constraint or obligation, and can be related in a figurative context.]

05:41 — 13. Lueur

Now let’s talk about lueur. It’s a feminine noun: a tiny sparkle in the dark, whether the soft glow of a candle or the last bit of hope in a tough situation. Une lueur d’espoir brillait encore dans ses yeux. — A glimmer of hope still shone in his or her eyes. Synonyms: éclat, reflet. [Related words: a gleam or radiance; a reflection. Their meanings depend on the light and context.]

Don’t give up—only two left! This is a great way to test your skills and take your French to the next level.

06:17 — 14. Effleurer

Let’s go with the second-to-last one: effleurer. A delicate verb used for a light touch or a passing thought. [The automatic English caption says “adverb”; effleurer is a verb.]

L’idée d’abandonner n’a jamais effleuré son esprit. — The thought of giving up never crossed his or her mind.

This word also works for physical contact: Alors qu’elle passait à côté de lui, sa main effleura légèrement son bras. — As she walked past him, her hand lightly brushed his arm.

Synonyms: frôler, survoler. [Frôler means to brush or graze lightly. Survoler means to fly over, or to skim over a text or subject; it does not mean brushing an arm.]

06:47 — 15. Subjuguer

Subjuguer—it’s a tough one! An elegant verb for fascinating or captivating someone. Son charisme a immédiatement subjugué l’audience. — His charisma immediately captivated the audience. French synonyms: captiver, impressionner. [To captivate; to impress.]

07:07 — Your score and what to watch next

So, how many did you get right? Tell me in the comments—I want to be sure your vocabulary is growing. If you ever feel a bit lost learning French, don’t worry. I’ve got some tips and advice to help you stay motivated and make real progress in French. Check it out now!