vitesse
/vi.tɛs/feminine
The English word 'speed' is translated into French as vitesse.
vitesse is a noun meaning the rate of motion. If you want to describe something as being fast, you should use the adjective rapide instead. To express the action of going fast, the verb foncer can be used.
Meaning: rate of motion (noun)
Which one should you use?
While vitesse is the noun used to name the concept of speed, rapide is the adjective used to describe an object or person that possesses that quality.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
vitesse is a feminine noun. When using it in a sentence, you must use feminine articles such as la or une and ensure any accompanying adjectives are also in their feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
vitesse is pronounced /vi.tɛs/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In a car, the 'gears' are called vitesses. A driver might say they are in deuxième vitesse to mean second gear.
- The expression vitesse grand V is used to describe something happening at maximum speed or very quickly.
- In French, the concept of 'speed' is often expressed by the word allure, which can mean both a physical speed and a person's stylish way of behaving.
Examples in context
- Le train prit de la vitesse.The train gained speed.This sentence shows how to use vitesse when discussing a train gaining speed.Tatoeba #496888 by sacredceltic, translation #43439 by CM
- Tom courut à pleine vitesse.Tom ran at full speed.This sentence demonstrates using vitesse to describe running at full speed.Tatoeba #5616287 by Aiji, translation #3056611 by WestofEden
- Le conducteur accrut la vitesse.The driver increased his speed.This sentence illustrates the use of vitesse in the context of a driver increasing speed.Tatoeba #839064 by sacredceltic, translation #26594 by CM
- La vitesse maximale autorisée est de 130 kilomètres par heure.The maximum speed allowed is 130 kilometers per hour.
- Merci pour votre rapidité à répondre à ma demande.Thank you for your promptness in responding to my request.
- Le train est parti à toute vitesse.The train departed at full speed.
- Il est parti à fond les ballons durant la course.He went full throttle during the race.
- J'ai été surpris par la vitesse du train à grande vitesse.I was amazed by the speed of the high-speed train.
- Je vais ranger ma chambre rapido avant de sortir.I'm going to quickly tidy up my room before going out.
- Les voitures défilaient à toute berzingue sur la route.The cars were speeding by on the road.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about a car on the highway.
- LéaLa vitesse est trop élevée ici.The speed is too high here.
- LucasC'est vrai, Lucas conduit trop vite.That's true, Lucas is driving too fast.
- LéaIl doit réduire sa vitesse.He must reduce his speed.
- LucasJe vais lui dire maintenant.I will tell him now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speed” translations and entries vitesse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
