très grand
The English phrase "extra large" is translated into French as très grand.
The phrase très grand is used to describe something that is much larger than the average or standard size. In the specific context of clothing, French speakers often use the abbreviation XL (pronounced 'iks-èl') instead of the full phrase.
Which one should you use?
The informal expression vachement grand can be used to mean "damn big" or "really large."
Did you know?
- If you use the slang vachement grand to describe something, you are literally saying it is 'cow-ly large', derived from the word vache for 'cow'.
- The word très is a linguistic relative of the English prefix 'trans-'. While one now means 'very' and the other means 'across', they both share a root meaning 'through' or 'beyond'.
- The word grand can actually mean 'tall' when describing a person, so if you call a person très grand, you are describing their height rather than their physical volume.
Examples in context
- Nous avons la très grande taille, mais pas dans cette couleur.We have the extra-large size, but not in that color.This sentence shows how to use très grand when discussing availability of sizes.Tatoeba #483300 by sacredceltic, translation #280536 by CK
- La nouvelle télé est vachement grande !The new TV is damn big!
- La glace dans ce cornet est super grosse !The ice cream in this cone is extra large!
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are shopping for a new rug together.
- EmmaRegarde ce tapis, il est très grand !Look at this rug, it is extra large!
- HugoOui, mais il est trop cher.Yes, but it is too expensive.
- EmmaC'est vrai, cherchons-en un plus petit.That's true, let's look for a smaller one.
- HugoD'accord, Emma, allons voir là-bas.Okay, Emma, let's go look over there.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grand, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
