nova
/nɔ.va/feminine
nova is the French word for 'sudden brightening of a star'.
The word is used to describe the astronomical phenomenon where a star suddenly increases in brightness.
Meaning: sudden brightening of a star (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
This is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /nɔ.va/. The word has two syllables.
Did you know?
- While nova is used in astronomy, French speakers use the word novice to describe a person who is 'new' to a skill, sharing the same Latin root for 'new'.
- The word nova belongs to a small group of French scientific terms that are identical in spelling to their English counterparts but differ in pronunciation.
- French speakers use nova specifically for the star's brightening, but use étoile nouvelle in more general or non-scientific conversations to mean 'new star'.
Examples in context
- La lingua franca nova est une langue facile et belle.Lingua Franca Nova is an easy and beautiful language.This sentence uses nova to describe the Lingua Franca Nova language.Tatoeba #9956525 by Rovo, translation #9956479 by DentelaPexor
- J'ai récemment observé une nouvelle étoile dans le ciel.I recently observed a nova in the sky.
- L'astronome étudie une nova très brillante.The astronomer is studying a very bright nova.
Example conversation
Two astronomy students are looking through a telescope.
- GabrielRegarde cette nova dans le ciel !Look at that nova in the sky!
- EmmaElle est incroyablement brillante, Gabriel.It is incredibly bright, Gabriel.
- GabrielEst-ce une nova récente ?Is it a recent nova?
- EmmaOui, elle vient d'apparaître.Yes, it just appeared.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nova” translations and entries nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
