faux/fo/
adjective / adverb / noun · A1 · Frequency 600
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
false; not real or untrue
Adjective describing something that is not real or is counterfeit, used in various contexts.
Examples
Cet argument est faux et ne résiste pas à l'examen.
This argument is false and does not stand up to scrutiny.
De faux espoirs peuvent rendre l'attente encore plus difficile.
False hopes can make the wait even more difficult.
Ces billets sont faux, alors la banque les a retirés de la circulation.
These banknotes are counterfeit, so the bank withdrew them from circulation.
Collocations
- un faux documenta forged document
Common mistakes
Nous avons reçu de faux informations.
Nous avons reçu de fausses informations.
The lemma faux has the irregular feminine plural form fausses; it must agree with informations here.
Related words
antonymvéritableveritable
adverb
Meanings
off-key; out of tune
Mostly in music, e.g., chanter faux (“to sing out of tune”).
Examples
Cette note sonne faux dans le refrain.
This note sounds wrong in the chorus.
Le chanteur a chanté faux pendant toute la répétition.
The singer sang out of tune throughout the rehearsal.
Il a raisonné faux en confondant la cause et la conséquence.
He reasoned incorrectly by confusing cause and consequence.
Collocations
- raisonner fauxreason incorrectly
Common mistakes
Il a faux parlé.
Il a mal parlé.
The adverb ‘faux’ cannot modify the verb ‘parler’; ‘mal’ should be used to mean ‘spoken badly’.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
fabrication, forgery
Usually refers to forged items or acts, commonly used as a noun.
false, incorrect
Used as an adjective to indicate something not genuine or incorrect, common in both spoken and written language.
Examples
Le musée a retiré un faux de son exposition après vérification.
The museum removed a forgery from its exhibition after checking it.
L'expert a reconnu le faux en examinant la signature.
The expert recognized the forgery while examining the signature.
Un faux peut sembler convaincant sans être authentique.
A forgery can look convincing without being authentic.
Collocations
- détecter un fauxdetect a forgery
Common mistakes
Ce document est un faux.
Ce document est un faux document.
When ‘faux’ is used as a noun, it is often combined with the noun it modifies to clearly indicate a forgery.
Related words
synonymfalsificationfalsification
synonymcontrefaçoncounterfeit; forgery (a fake)
- antonymvraitruth
nounfeminine
Meanings
scythe
Refers to an agricultural tool used for cutting grass or harvesting crops.
fake, counterfeit item
Refers to a forged or counterfeit item, often used to describe fake goods.
Examples
La faux est rangée dans la remise depuis la fin des moissons.
The scythe has been stored in the shed since the end of the harvest.
Le fermier a aiguisé la faux avant de couper l'herbe haute.
The farmer sharpened the scythe before cutting the tall grass.
Cette vieille faux appartenait à mon grand-père.
This old scythe belonged to my grandfather.
Collocations
- manier une fauxto wield a scythe
- distinguer le vrai du fauxto distinguish the real from the fake
Common mistakes
un faux
un faux produit
Learners often use “faux” alone to mean fake item, but it should be used with a noun, e.g., “un faux produit”.
le faux est utilisé pour couper
la faux est utilisée pour couper
“faux” as a noun is feminine, so verbs and adjectives must agree in gender and number.
Related words
synonymcontrefaçoncounterfeit; forgery (a fake)