What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of très, which is a direct translation of 'very' used to intensify adjectives and the adjective excité, meaning 'excited'.
Which one should you use?
While très excité is the direct translation, if you want to express that you are eager or cannot wait for a future event, you should use the phrase avoir hâte. For example, 'J'ai très hâte' can be used to say 'I am very excited' or 'I can't wait'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the subject. Use très excitée for a female subject and très excités for a masculine or mixed-gender plural subject.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using très excité to mean 'looking forward to something'. In French, excité can carry a sexual connotation (aroused) depending on the context. To avoid this, use avoir hâte instead.
Did you know?
- To avoid the risk of excité being misunderstood, French speakers often use impatient to describe being very excited. Unlike in English, impatient is frequently a positive expression of eagerness.
- The word très is a linguistic relative of the English prefix 'trans-'. Both originate from a root meaning 'through' or 'across', eventually evolving into a way to express 'to a high degree'.
- In some French-speaking regions, using excité to describe a child often means they are 'hyperactive' or 'overstimulated' rather than just happy.
Examples in context
- Elle était très excitée.She was very excited.This sentence uses très excité to describe a female subject.Tatoeba #134057 by Aiji, translation #311764 by CK
- Ils étaient très excités.They were very excited.This sentence uses très excités to describe a plural subject.Tatoeba #1328873 by sacredceltic, translation #307469 by CK
- Nous sommes très excités.We're very excited.This sentence uses très excité to describe a group.Tatoeba #4801778 by sacredceltic, translation #2240700 by CK
- Tout excité, j'attends la sortie du nouveau film.All excited, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the new movie.
- Je suis très emballé par l'idée du voyage.I'm very excited about the idea of the trip.
- Il est enthousiaste au plus haut point concernant ce projet.He is extremely excited about this project.
- Je suis trop content d'avoir réussi mon examen.I'm super happy to have passed my exam.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are talking about an upcoming trip.
- GabrielJe suis très excité pour notre voyage !I am very excited for our trip!
- EmmaMoi aussi, j'ai hâte d'y être.Me too, I can't wait to be there.
- GabrielTu penses qu'il fera beau ?Do you think the weather will be nice?
- EmmaOui, on va bien s'amuser.Yes, we are going to have a lot of fun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
