très triste
The English phrase "very sad" is translated into French as très triste.
très triste is used to describe someone or something feeling or showing a great deal of sorrow or unhappiness.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb très (very) and the adjective triste (sad).
Which one should you use?
While très triste is the standard way to express this, bien triste can be used in more literary or formal contexts to mean the same thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, triste must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: très triste is used for masculine or feminine singular and très tristes is used for masculine or feminine plural.
Did you know?
- While très triste is the direct translation, French speakers often use the phrase avoir le cafard to describe a deep or lingering sadness. This literally means 'to have the cockroach'.
- The adverb très shares a common ancestor with the English prefix 'trans-'. Both originate from the Latin word trāns, meaning 'through' or 'across'.
- If you describe a room or an outfit as triste, you are not necessarily saying it is sorrowful, but rather that it looks 'dreary', 'drab' or 'colorless'.
Examples in context
- Je suis très triste.I am very sad.Tatoeba #1825113 by sacredceltic, translation #1136927 by soj4l
- Ce serait très triste.That would be very sad.Tatoeba #1490254 by sacredceltic, translation #1488256 by Spamster
- Tom était très triste.Tom was very sad.Tatoeba #9838265 by felix63, translation #2549222 by CK
- Nous sommes profondément affligés par cette tragédie.We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy.
- J'ai été bouleversé par cette nouvelle terrible.I was deeply saddened by this terrible news.
- Je suis vraiment triste de ne pas pouvoir venir à ta fête.I'm really sad that I can't come to your party.
- Après la rupture, il était complètement effondré.After the breakup, he was completely devastated.
- Son moral est en berne depuis la disparition de son chien.His spirits are low since the disappearance of his dog.
- Le décès de mon grand-père m'a laissé très triste.The death of my grandfather left me very sad.
- La séparation des parents a rendu l'enfant profondément affligé.The parents' separation made the child profoundly saddened.
- Je suis vraiment triste d'apprendre cette mauvaise nouvelle.I'm really sad to hear this bad news.
- Elle était complètement effondrée après l'échec de son projet.She was completely devastated after the failure of her project.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are talking about a sad ending to a book.
- EmmaTu as fini le livre ?Did you finish the book?
- HugoOui, et je suis très triste.Yes, and I am very sad.
- EmmaEst-ce que la fin est tragique ?Is the ending tragic?
- HugoOui, elle est vraiment terrible.Yes, it is truly terrible.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries triste, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
