très loin
The English phrase "very far" is translated into French as très loin.
très loin is used to describe a great distance between two places or things. This can be used literally to describe physical distance or figuratively to describe the progress of a task or an idea.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of très (very) and loin (far).
Which one should you use?
Use très loin to describe distance, but do not use it to describe length or duration. For length or duration, use très long.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say "very far from" a specific point, très loin is typically followed by the preposition de or its contracted forms du, de la or des.
Did you know?
- If someone is making a total guess and is completely wrong, you can say they are loin du compte. This literally translates to being 'far from the account' or 'far from the tally'.
- The word très is a historical doublet of the English prefix 'trans-', found in words like 'transport' and 'transfer'.
- In French, you cannot use loin to describe a long time ago. While an English speaker might say 'that was far in the past', a French speaker must use il y a longtemps.
Examples in context
- Est-ce très loin d'ici ?Is it very far from here?This example shows how to use très loin to ask about distance from a location.Tatoeba #6309501 by Aiji, translation #2267343 by _undertoad
- On n'est plus très loin.We aren't very far anymore.This example uses très loin to indicate that a destination is no longer at a great distance.Tatoeba #8697751 by Julien_PDC, translation #11896831 by zogwarg
- Tu n'es pas allé très loin.You didn't get very far.This example uses très loin figuratively to describe progress.Tatoeba #2284282 by sacredceltic, translation #2283619 by CK
- La ville que je cherche est très loin d'ici.The city I'm looking for is very far from here.
- Ce lieu est extrêmement éloigné du centre-ville.This place is extremely far from the city center.
- J'habite hyper loin de chez toi.I live really far from your place.
- Cette plage est carrément loin, mais ça vaut le détour.This beach is seriously far, but it's worth it.
- La gare est très loin, vous devriez prendre un taxi.The train station is very far, you should take a taxi.
- On est hyper loin de la destination, je ne savais pas que c'était aussi éloigné.We are really far from the destination, I didn't realize it was so far.
- Elle habite carrément loin, il faut prévoir du temps pour aller la voir.She lives seriously far, you need to allocate time to go and see her.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing a travel destination.
- NathanEst-ce que la gare est très loin ?Is the station very far?
- ManonNon, ce n'est pas très loin d'ici.No, it is not very far from here.
- NathanTu peux y aller à pied ?Can you go there on foot?
- ManonOui, c'est facile de marcher.Yes, it is easy to walk.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries loin, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
