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French Word of the Day: Une tronche

The Local France
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French Word of the Day: Une tronche
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

You might call a member of the Big Bang theory team this word.

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Why do I need to know une tronche ?

Because you probably have some former classmates who fit this description

What does it mean?

Une tronche roughly pronounced oon trohnsh –  normally refers to a big stump, log or block of wood, though not to be confused with the word “tranche”, which though it has a similar pronunciation, means a piece or slice of something. 

The French word for a block of wood has a second, casual meaning too - it can be used as a synonym for “face” or “head” - as it can in English too, such as in the phrase "knock your block off" to mean punch someone in the head.

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You might be wondering now whether the word can be used synonymously with the English insult “blockhead” - referring to a dim person, but in fact it is the opposite. 

French people might call a genius or a highly intelligent person “une tronche,” similar to how English-speakers might call a very smart person a “brain.” 

Thus, a savant at mathematics might be referred to as une tronche en mathématiques.

Use it like this

C'est une tronche, il est le premier de la classe chaque année. – He is a genius, he is the top of the class every year.

Elle est une tronche dans l'apprentissage des langues, elle peut parler cinq langues différentes couramment.– She is a language-learning genius, she can speak five different languages fluently.

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