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From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list The thirty-second entry is discontinu , and the English word that springs to mind has two letters too many. « Discontinued » is a past participle and tells a story with an ending: a product that is no longer made, a service that has been withdrawn, a medicine the doctor has stopped prescribing. Whatever it names is over. Discontinu is a plain adjective and describes a pattern that is still going on: it works, then it does not, then it works again. Un signal discontinu is an intermittent signal, une ligne discontinue is the broken line down the middle of a road that drivers are allowed to cross, and un effort discontinu is effort made in fits and starts. The true English relative is « discontinuous », which is correct and rather technical; in ordinary prose the choice is « intermittent », « broken » or « on and off ». For « discontinued » the French reaches for other words altogether: a range is arrêté , a model is retiré de la vente , a treatment is interrompu . Read the entry as a rhythm, never as a death notice.
The words
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Adjective (15)
Grammar for these: Adjective agreement · Where the adjective goes
précipité hasty Adjective C2 Ce jugement me paraît précipité. Calling it a failure after a single week seems hasty to me.
échu overdue Adjective C2 Le loyer est échu depuis le printemps. Two months of rent are now overdue.
en instance pending Adjective C2 Le dossier reste en instance devant la commission. Her application is still pending before the committee.
interminable endless Adjective C2 La procédure est interminable. Every step of the procedure felt endless.
prolongé prolonged Adjective C2 Un silence prolongé a suivi la question. Nobody spoke for a prolonged moment after the question.
perpétuel perpetual Adjective C2 Il vit dans un doute perpétuel. Doubt has become his perpetual companion.
fugace fleeting Adjective C2 L’impression était fugace. It was no more than a fleeting impression.
momentané temporary Adjective C2 La panne est momentanée. The outage should be only temporary.
discontinu intermittent Adjective C2 Le signal est discontinu. The signal comes and goes; it is intermittent.
sporadique sporadic Adjective C2 Les contrôles restent sporadiques. Inspections remain sporadic at best.
cyclique cyclical Adjective C2 La demande est cyclique. Demand is cyclical and follows the seasons.
simultané simultaneous Adjective C2 Les deux mesures sont simultanées. Both readings were taken at the same instant; they are simultaneous.
concomitant concurrent Adjective C2 Deux projets concomitants occupent l’équipe. The team is running two concurrent projects.
consécutif consecutive Adjective C2 Il a plu trois jours consécutifs. That makes the third consecutive day of rain.
successif successive Adjective C2 Les versions successives se ressemblent beaucoup. Each of the successive drafts resembles the last.
Adverb (3)
Grammar for these: Adverbs in -ment
préalablement beforehand Adverb C2 Les documents doivent être envoyés préalablement. The papers have to reach us beforehand, not at the door.
tardivement belatedly Adverb C2 La réponse est arrivée tardivement. The mistake was admitted belatedly, once the damage was done.
dorénavant from now on Adverb C2 Dorénavant, la salle ferme plus tôt. From now on the doors close at six.
Phrase (22)
en avance early Phrase C2 Le train est arrivé en avance. The guest turned up early and had to wait outside.
Earlier than planned. « In advance », before something else happens, is préalablement .
en temps voulu in due course Phrase C2 Vous serez prévenus en temps voulu. The dates will be announced in due course, and not before.
d’un instant à l’autre any moment now Phrase C2 La décision peut tomber d’un instant à l’autre. Keep your phone on: they may ring any moment now.
au départ at the outset Phrase C2 Au départ, personne n’y croyait. At the outset nobody gave the idea much of a chance.
dès le début from the very start Phrase C2 Le malentendu était là dès le début. The plan was flawed from the very start.
tôt ou tard sooner or later Phrase C2 Tôt ou tard, il faudra trancher. Sooner or later somebody will have to take responsibility.
dans l’intervalle in the meantime Phrase C2 Dans l’intervalle, le dossier a changé de mains. In the meantime three different people had handled the case.
d’ici là until then Phrase C2 D’ici là, l’ancienne règle reste valable. Until then, carry on exactly as before.
pour l’instant for the time being Phrase C2 Pour l’instant, rien n’est décidé. The plan stays on paper for the time being.
à partir de là from then on Phrase C2 À partir de là, tout est allé vite. From then on events moved very quickly.
à ce jour to date Phrase C2 À ce jour, aucune réponse n’est parvenue. To date the letter remains unanswered.
jusqu’ici so far Phrase C2 Jusqu’ici, la méthode a tenu. The method has not let us down so far.
ces derniers temps lately Phrase C2 Ces derniers temps, les réunions se multiplient. Lately there seems to be a meeting every afternoon.
avec le recul with hindsight Phrase C2 Avec le recul, le choix se comprend mieux. With hindsight, the decision looks far less odd.
après coup after the event Phrase C2 On ne le remarque qu’après coup. The error was only spotted after the event.
Suggests a missed chance; avec le recul suggests better judgement.
à peine … que no sooner … than Phrase C2 À peine avait-il fini que la salle s’est vidée. No sooner had the sun come out than it began to rain.
sur le point de about to Phrase C2 Elle était sur le point de partir. She was about to leave when he walked in.
à la veille de on the eve of Phrase C2 Nous sommes à la veille d’un changement. The firm stands on the eve of a major change.
en proie à in the throes of Phrase C2 Le secteur est en proie à une réorganisation. The whole industry is in the throes of upheaval.
en long et en large at great length Phrase C2 La question a été discutée en long et en large. They went over the question at great length, for hours.
par intervalles at intervals Phrase C2 La machine s’arrête par intervalles. Every so often, at intervals nobody can predict, the machine halts.
coup sur coup in quick succession Phrase C2 Deux annulations sont tombées coup sur coup. The cancellations arrived one right after the other, in quick succession.
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