l'
/e.sɑ̃s/
Translation
petrol; essence, the essential nature of something
Word origin
From Latin essentia ('being, the nature of a thing'), coined on esse ('to be'). The fuel sense is a shortening of essence de pétrole, the distilled spirit drawn off crude oil, which makes essence a false friend for English speakers.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- essentia
- English cognates
- essence, essential
Grammar
Examples
l' l'.
We need to get petrol before the motorway.
l' cette .
The price of petrol has gone up again this week.
consomme '.
My car uses far too much petrol.
C' , , .
That, in essence, is the problem with the method.
extrait parfumée 'oranger.
A scented essence is extracted from orange blossom.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueFrench · Free printables
essence: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "essence" (petrol; essence, the essential nature of something): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 36.