vu
The English word 'seen' is translated into French as vu.
The term vu is the past participle of the verb Voir, which is the most common way to say 'to see' in both formal and informal contexts. When used as a preposition at the beginning of a phrase, vu can mean 'given' or 'considering'. For example, Vu les circonstances means 'Given the circumstances'. If you want to convey the sense of seeing something remarkable, the formal verb Contempler (to contemplate) can be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these cases, use vue for feminine, vus for masculine plural or vues for feminine plural.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you have 'seen' a movie in a slangy, much more intense way, you might use the verb mater instead of voir.
- The term vu et approuvé is a traditional phrase used in French business to mean 'seen and approved', often written on documents.
- The past participle vu shares an ancestor with the Italian veduto, which is the source of the English word 'view'.
Examples in context
- Tu as été vu.You were seen.This sentence shows how to use vu to say someone was seen.Tatoeba #8401595 by Aiji, translation #2255279 by CK
- Qui a vu Tom ?Who has seen Tom?This sentence uses vu to ask who has seen a person.Tatoeba #3686197 by fleur74, translation #9435383 by sundown
- Je n'ai rien vu.I haven't seen anything.This sentence uses vu in a negative statement meaning nothing was seen.Tatoeba #485272 by sacredceltic, translation #2360239 by CK
- J'ai vu le film hierI saw the movie yesterday
- Je l'ai aperçu au café ce matinI saw him/her at the café this morning
- Il contemplait le paysage avec émerveillementHe was gazing at the landscape in wonder
- Je l'ai vu hier à la fêteI saw him/her yesterday at the party
- J'ai regardé ce film hier soirI saw that movie last night
- Je l'ai vu hier matinI saw him/her yesterday morning
- 1204 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking about a movie.
- EmmaTu as vu le nouveau film ?Have you seen the new movie?
- GabrielOui, je l'ai vu hier soir.Yes, I saw it last night.
- EmmaC'était bien ?Was it good?
- GabrielOui, c'est le meilleur film jamais vu.Yes, it's the best movie ever seen.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
