Les Misérables
Les Misérables is the French title of the famous novel by Victor Hugo.
In casual and informal speech, speakers often use the abbreviated form Les Mis.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'the wretched ones' or 'the miserable ones'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word misérables is the plural form of the adjective misérable, which agrees with the masculine plural article les.
Did you know?
- In modern French, calling someone un misérable is a severe personal attack, suggesting they are a contemptible or worthless human being rather than simply a victim of poverty.
- The word misérable shares a common root with the English word 'miser', though they evolved to describe different concepts of scarcity and unhappiness.
- The word misérable can be used to quantify amounts as well as people. If you describe a salaire misérable, you are not just saying the wage is sad, but that it is a tiny, inadequate pittance.
Examples in context
- Qu'est-ce que tu penses de "Les Misérables" ?What do you think of "Les Misérables"?
- J'ai adoré Les Misérables.I loved Les Misérables.
- Est-ce que tu as lu Les Misérables ?Have you read Les Misérables?
- Les Misérables est un chef-d'œuvre.Les Misérables is a masterpiece.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about books at a café.
- ManonTu connais Les Misérables ?Do you know Les Misérables?
- LucasOui, c'est un livre très célèbre.Yes, it is a very famous book.
- ManonLucas, tu devrais le lire.Lucas, you should read it.
- LucasD'accord, je vais le chercher.Okay, I will look for it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries les, CC BY-SA 4.0.
