French C2 Vocabulary – DALF C2

Learning path · 10 study sets · 776 words · French vocabulary · Created by Openquiz Team

Core French vocabulary for CEFR C2 (DALF C2): 10 topic-based sets, 776 words with pronunciation and example sentences. Definitions in English.

Study sets in this learning path

[C2] Nuance, connotation and register (80 words)
- connotation kɔ.nɔ.ta.sjɔ~ — connotation
- dénotation de.nɔ.ta.sjɔ~ — denotation
- péjoratif pe.ʒɔ.ʁa.tif — pejorative
- mélioratif me.ljɔ.ʁa.tif — ameliorative
- euphémisme ø.fe.mismə — euphemism
- litote li.tɔt — litotes
- soutenu sut.ny — formal; elevated
- argot aʁ.go — slang; jargon
- verlan vɛʁ.lɑ~ — verlan; back-slang
- vulgaire vyl.ɡɛʁ — coarse; crude; common
[C2] Rare and literary vocabulary (78 words)
- ineffable inɛfabl — ineffable; inexpressible
- gageure ɡaʒyʁ — seemingly impossible challenge; tall order
- déréliction deʁeliksjɔ~ — desolation; abandonment
- ombrageux ɔ~bʁaʒø — touchy; prickly; skittish
- prébende pʁebɑ~d — sinecure; cushy post
- obnubiler ɔbnybile — obsess; cloud the mind
- pérorer peʁɔʁe — hold forth; spout
- gouaille ɡwaj — cheeky banter; street wit
- ténébreux tenebʁø — dark; gloomy; brooding
- diaphane djafan — diaphanous; translucent
[C2] Specialised fields: medicine, law, finance (80 words)
- assigner a.si.ɲe — summon; serve a writ on
- prévenu pʁe.və.ny — defendant; accused
- jurisprudence ʒy.ʁis.pʁy.dɑ~s — case law
- ordonnance ɔʁ.dɔ.nɑ~s — order; ordinance
- plaidoirie plɛ.dwa.ʁi — oral argument; pleading
- ester en justice ɛs.te ɑ~ ʒys.tis — bring legal action
- débouter de.bu.te — dismiss a claim
- forclusion fɔʁ.kly.zjɔ~ — foreclosure; forfeiture
- ayant droit ɛ.jɑ~ dʁwa — beneficiary; rightful claimant
- vice de forme vis də fɔʁm — procedural defect; flaw in form
[C2] Proverbs and set expressions (72 words)
- tirer son épingle du jeu ti.ʁe sɔ~ e.pɛ~ɡl dy ʒø — to come out of it well
- noyer le poisson nwa.je lə pwa.sɔ~ — to muddy the waters
- jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain ʒə.te lə be.be a.vɛk lo dy bɛ~ — to throw the baby out with the bathwater
- pas de fumée sans feu pa də fy.me sɑ~ fø — there's no smoke without fire
- avoir du pain sur la planche a.vwaʁ dy pɛ~ syʁ la plɑ~ʃ — to have a lot of work ahead
- mettre de l'eau dans son vin mɛtʁ də lo dɑ~ sɔ~ vɛ~ — to tone down one's demands
- faire la pluie et le beau temps fɛʁ la plɥi e lə bo tɑ~ — to call the shots
- avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre a.vwaʁ lə bœʁ e laʁ.ʒɑ~ dy bœʁ — to have it both ways
- chercher midi à quatorze heures ʃɛʁ.ʃe mi.di a ka.tɔʁ.z‿œʁ — to make things overly complicated
- à bon entendeur, salut a bɔ~ nɑ~.tɑ~.dœʁ sa.ly — let this be a warning
[C2] Rhetoric and persuasion (80 words)
- éloquence e.lɔ.kɑ~s — eloquence
- rhétorique ʁe.tɔ.ʁik — rhetoric; empty rhetoric
- argumentation aʁ.ɡy.mɑ~.ta.sjɔ~ — argumentation
- sophisme sɔ.fism — sophism
- démagogie de.ma.ɡɔ.ʒi — demagoguery
- captatio benevolentiae kap.ta.sjo be.ne.vo.lɑ~.sjɛ — captatio benevolentiae
- exorde ɛɡ.zɔʁd — exordium; opening
- péroraison pe.ʁɔ.ʁɛ.zɔ~ — peroration; closing
- pathos pa.tos — pathos
- ethos e.tos — ethos
[C2] Humour, irony and wordplay (79 words)
- l'ironie i.ʁɔ.ni — irony
- le calembour ka.lɑ~.buʁ — pun
- le jeu de mots ʒø də mo — wordplay; pun
- le trait d'esprit tʁɛ dɛs.pʁi — witticism; quip
- l'humour noir y.muʁ nwaʁ — black humour
- le sarcasme saʁ.kasm — sarcasm
- la raillerie ʁa.jʁi — mockery; gibe; teasing
- la dérision de.ʁi.zjɔ~ — mockery; derision
- l'autodérision o.to.de.ʁi.zjɔ~ — self-mockery
- la satire sa.tiʁ — satire
[C2] Regional and colloquial usage (80 words)
- bouquin bu.kɛ~ — book (familiar)
- bagnole ba.ɲɔl — car (familiar)
- boulot bu.lo — work; job (familiar)
- bosser bɔ.se — to work (hard)
- fric fʁik — money; cash (slang)
- flic flik — cop (familiar)
- gosse gɔs — kid; child (familiar)
- pote pɔt — mate; pal (familiar)
- bouffer bu.fe — to eat; to scoff
- bouffe buf — food; grub (familiar)
[C2] Historical and classical vocabulary (72 words)
- l'Antiquité ɑ~.ti.ki.te — antiquity
- le Moyen Âge mwa.jɛ~.nɑʒ — Middle Ages
- la Renaissance ʁə.nɛ.sɑ~s — Renaissance
- les Lumières le ly.mjɛʁ — the Enlightenment
- l'Ancien Régime lɑ~.sjɛ~ ʁe.ʒim — Ancien Régime
- la féodalité fe.ɔ.da.li.te — feudalism; feudal system
- le vassal va.sal — vassal; feudal subordinate
- le suzerain sy.zə.ʁɛ~ — overlord; feudal lord
- la chevalerie ʃə.val.ʁi — chivalry; knighthood
- la croisade kʁwa.zad — crusade
[C2] Precision: near-synonyms (75 words)
- néanmoins ne.ɑ~.mwɛ~ — nevertheless
- toutefois tu.tə.fwa — however
- dissimuler di.si.my.le — to conceal; to hide
- occulter ɔ.kyl.te — to obscure; to overlook
- taire tɛʁ — to keep silent about
- s'avérer sa.ve.ʁe — to prove to be; to turn out
- divulguer di.vyl.ɡe — to divulge; to leak
- ténu te.ny — tenuous; slender
- fin fɛ~ — astute; sharp
- pointu pwɛ~.ty — specialized; highly technical; sharp-pointed
[C2] Academic and professional jargon (80 words)
- problématique pʁɔ.ble.ma.tik — research question; problematic
- corpus kɔʁ.pys — corpus; body of data
- paradigme pa.ʁa.diɡm — paradigm
- épistémologie e.pis.te.mɔ.lɔ.ʒi — epistemology
- gouvernance ɡu.vɛʁ.nɑ~s — governance
- partie prenante paʁ.ti pʁə.nɑ~t — stakeholder
- mutualiser my.tɥa.li.ze — to pool
- dysfonctionnement dis.fɔ~k.sjɔn.mɑ~ — malfunction; dysfunction
- recouper ʁə.ku.pe — to cross-check; to corroborate
- pluridisciplinaire ply.ʁi.di.si.pli.nɛʁ — multidisciplinary

French C2 Vocabulary – DALF C2

Study sets in this learning path

Related learning paths

This page in other languages