lent
/lɑ̃/masculine
The French word for slow is lent.
The adjective lent is used to describe something or someone that is not quick in motion. For the action of reducing speed, you should use the verbs ralentir or freiner instead.
Meaning: not quick in motion (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use the adjective lent to describe the speed of a person or an object. In contrast, use the verb ralentir when you are referring to the action of slowing something down.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the informal word lentement (slowly) is often replaced with doucement when a speaker wants to say 'slowly'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: lent is the masculine singular form, lente is the feminine singular, lents is the masculine plural and lentes is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/lɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The Latin ancestor of lent was 'lentus', which originally carried the sense of being 'pliant' or 'flexible' rather than just 'not fast'.
- While lent describes a lack of speed, if you want to tell someone to 'slow down' or 'be careful' in a physical sense, you are more likely to say doucement, which literally means 'sweetly' or 'softly'.
- In French, calling a person lent can sometimes imply they are not just physically slow, but also mentally 'slow-witted' or dim.
Examples in context
- Tu es trop lent.You're too slow.This example shows how to use lent to describe a person.Tatoeba #2218650 by sacredceltic, translation #2213919 by Hybrid
- Le bus est lent.The bus is slow.This example shows how to use lent to describe an object.Tatoeba #5783250 by Aiji, translation #2002516 by bichodebola
- Que tu es lent !You're so slow!This example shows how to use lent for emphasis.Tatoeba #6892057 by felix63, translation #6906101 by kaiperkins271
- Il est recommandé de conduire lentement dans les zones résidentielles.It is recommended to drive slowly in residential areas.
- Attends! Tu marches vraiment lentement.Wait! You're walking really slowly.
- Prends ton temps, vas-y mollo avec le café chaud.Take your time, go slow with the hot coffee.
- 116 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are walking together to the station.
- NathanPourquoi es-tu si lent aujourd'hui ?Why are you so slow today?
- ChloéMon sac est très lourd.My bag is very heavy.
- NathanOn va être en retard.We are going to be late.
- ChloéDésolée, je vais essayer d'accélérer.Sorry, I will try to speed up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slow” translations and entries lent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lent, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
