tellement
/tɛl.mɑ̃/
The English phrase 'so badly' is translated into French as tellement when used to emphasize a strong desire or need.
In French, tellement is used to express the intensity of a desire or need, functioning similarly to how 'so badly' is used in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use tellement to describe an intensity that leads to a specific result (the 'so… that' construction), it is often paired with que.
How do you pronounce it?
tellement is pronounced /tɛl.mɑ̃/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid translating 'so badly' literally as si mal. While 'so badly' can mean a strong desire in English, si mal in French actually means 'so poorly' or 'in such a bad manner'.
Did you know?
- To express a desire more desperate than simply saying you want something 'so badly', French speakers use the idiom mourir d'envie de. This translates literally to 'to die of desire for' something.
- In casual spoken French, people often substitute tellement with trop, even though trop technically means 'too much' or 'excessively'.
- In informal conversation, tellement is frequently used as a standalone exclamation to mean 'totally' or 'so much' when agreeing with a statement.
Examples in context
- Je pense que la jeune génération a un vrai problème de volonté de construire son identité autour de l’idée de se victimiser. Ils veulent avoir le racisme pour se battre et non pas combattre le racisme, avoir tellement le racisme pour se battre, que lorsqu’il est absent, ils l’inventent.I think the younger generations have a real problem with wanting to build their identity around being a victim: they want to have racism to fight – not fight racism – have racism to fight so badly that when it’s not there, they make it up.This sentence shows how tellement can be used to describe the intensity of a desire that leads to a consequence.Tatoeba #12101140 by sacredceltic, translation #12101131 by frpzzd
- Je veux tellement partir en vacances.I want to go on vacation so badly.
- Elle a tellement besoin de dormir.She needs to sleep so badly.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a music concert.
- GabrielTu veux voir ce concert ?Do you want to see this concert?
- EmmaOui, j'en ai tellement envie !Yes, I want it so badly!
- GabrielC'est super, on va acheter les billets.That's great, we are going to buy the tickets.
- EmmaMerci Gabriel, tu es génial.Thanks Gabriel, you are great.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tellement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
