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French Word of the Day: comment

The Local France
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French Word of the Day: comment
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It's one of the most commonly spoken French words... but do you know all of its meanings?

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Why do I need to know comment?

It's hard to escape the word comment in France... and it's a particularly useful one for language learners. 

So, what does it mean?

It's hard to underestimate the ubiquity of the French adverb comment.

One of the main ways it is used is to mean 'how' or 'in what way'. 

For example, Comment vas-tu? - 'How are you?'

Or, Comment as-tu retiré cette vis du mur? - 'How did you get that screw out of the wall?'

It can also mean, 'what', 'sorry', 'excuse me' and 'pardon'. 

So, particularly as a language learner in France, you might find the following phrase useful: Comment? Pouvez-vous répéter? Je n'ai pas bien compris. - Sorry? Could you repeat that? I didn't quite understand.

You could also say: Comment ça?   which means 'What's that?' or ''Excuse me?'  

You can also use comment in an exclamative tone. 

For example, Comment donc! - 'Of course! By all means!'

For more French Expressions and French Words of the Day you can CLICK HERE to see our full list

 

 
 
 

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