Which one should you use?
While grand can mean 'large', it also means 'tall' when referring to height. If you want to express that something is 'vast' or 'extensive' in a formal context, you might use vaste. For something 'considerable' or 'substantial' in size, the formal term is considérable. In informal situations, you can use énorme to express astonishment or exaggeration, similar to 'ginormous' in English. Among friends, the slang word balaise can be used to describe something big or formidable.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the feminine form grande for feminine nouns, the masculine plural form grands for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form grandes for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁɑ̃/
Did you know?
- When discussing social status, un grand homme translates to 'a great man', whereas un homme grand means 'a tall man'.
- The phrase faire le grand jeu translates literally to 'playing the big game', but it means to pull out all the stops or spare no expense for an event.
- When describing a child, un grand often refers to an older child or a teenager, regardless of their actual height compared to adults.
Examples in context
- Grand ou petit ?Large or small?Tatoeba #7499495 by Micsmithel, translation #275473 by CM
- Est-ce assez grand ?Is it large enough?Tatoeba #3653023 by sacredceltic, translation #45521 by CK
- La villa est grande.The villa is large.Tatoeba #13798270 by Rovo, translation #13802769 by rul
- J'ai une grande maison.I have a large house.
- Elle porte une énorme valise.She carries an enormous suitcase.
- La bibliothèque possède une vaste collection.The library has a vast collection.
- Le projet nécessite une surface considérable .The project requires a considerable area.
- J'ai acheté un gros gâteau pour l'anniversaire.I bought a big cake for the birthday.
- 327 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are looking for a new apartment.
- HugoCet appartement est trop petit.This apartment is too small.
- ManonOui, il nous faut un salon plus grand.Yes, we need a larger living room.
- HugoRegarde, celui-ci a une grand chambre.Look, this one has a large bedroom.
- ManonC'est parfait pour nous, Hugo !It's perfect for us, Hugo!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “large” translations and entries grand, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
