plein/plɛ̃/
adjective / preposition / noun / adverb · A2 · Frequency 498
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
full, filled
Indicates a container or space that is filled.
solid, firm
Describes the firmness or solidity of an object.
pregnant (of animals)
Used to describe a woman who is pregnant.
Examples
Le réservoir est plein après la pluie.
The tank is full after the rain.
Après le repas, le bus était plein de voyageurs.
After the meal, the bus was full of passengers.
Il y avait plein de monde à la fête.
There were lots of people at the party.
Le meuble est fabriqué en bois plein.
The piece of furniture is made of solid wood.
Collocations
- conteneur pleinfull container
- plein de ressourcesplenty of resources
- femme pleinepregnant woman
Common mistakes
plein de l'eau
plein d'eau
After “plein de”, the preposition “de” is used without an article before a noun.
une femme plein
une femme pleine
The adjective “plein” must agree in gender and become “pleine” when used with a feminine noun.
Related words
preposition
Meanings
right in; in the middle of
Used in the locution “en plein + noun”.
Examples
Il y avait des vélos plein le garage.
There were bicycles all over the garage.
Des enfants jouaient plein la cour après la classe.
Children were playing all over the courtyard after school.
Elle a posé des plantes plein le balcon.
She filled the balcony with plants.
Collocations
- plein de joiefull of joy
- plein de mondefull of people
- plein de travailfull of work
Common mistakes
plein de
plein
Mistaking the preposition 'plein' as the phrase 'plein de'; actually, 'plein' as a preposition is used without 'de'.
plein à
plein de
Incorrectly using the preposition 'à' instead of 'de'; the correct expression is 'plein de' to indicate fullness.
Related words
synonymremplifilled, full
- synonymdansin, inside
nounmasculine
Meanings
full tank (of gas)
Typically used for the fuel container of cars or other vehicles, indicating it is filled to capacity.
thick stroke (of a letter)
A handwriting term referring to the stroke of a letter made downward.
state of being full, filled
Refers generally to containers, spaces, or abstract things being filled or full.
Examples
Avant de rendre la voiture, j'ai fait le plein.
Before returning the car, I filled the tank.
Un plein devrait suffire pour tout le trajet.
A full tank should be enough for the whole journey.
Le calligraphe a épaissi le plein de la première lettre.
The calligrapher thickened the downstroke of the first letter.
Collocations
- réservoir pleinfull tank
- espace pleinfull space
- conteneur pleinfull container
Common mistakes
Je dois faire plein avant de partir.
Je dois faire le plein avant de partir.
For the noun sense of a full tank, the lemma plein is used in the fixed expression faire le plein, so the definite article le cannot be omitted.
Related words
adverb
Meanings
completely, thoroughly
Commonly used adverb indicating the full extent or degree of an action or state, frequent in spoken language.
a lot, lots of, many
Used in informal speech to indicate a large quantity, often combined with nouns.
Examples
Nous avons plein de travail avant la fin de la semaine.
We have a lot of work to do before the end of the week.
Elle a trouvé plein d'idées pour améliorer le projet.
She found lots of ideas for improving the project.
Il y avait plein de monde devant la salle de concert.
There were lots of people outside the concert hall.
Collocations
- avoir plein de chosesto have lots of things
Common mistakes
J'ai plein des amis.
J'ai plein d'amis.
When “plein” is followed by a noun, the preposition “de” is used without an article.
Related words
synonymtotalementcompletely, totally
- synonymbeaucoupa lot, many
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
full, filled
Indicates a container or space that is filled.
solid, firm
Describes the firmness or solidity of an object.
pregnant (of animals)
Used to describe a woman who is pregnant.
Examples
La bouteille est pleine après le remplissage.
The bottle is full after being filled.
Nous sommes en pleine saison touristique, alors les marchés sont très animés.
We are in the height of the tourist season, so the markets are very lively.
Cette poutre pleine supporte mieux la charge qu'un tube creux.
This solid beam supports the load better than a hollow tube.
Nous nous retrouverons en pleine journée devant la bibliothèque.
We will meet in the middle of the day in front of the library.
Collocations
- conteneur pleinfull container
- plein de ressourcesplenty of resources
- femme pleinepregnant woman
Common mistakes
plein de l'eau
plein d'eau
After “plein de”, the preposition “de” is used without an article before a noun.
une femme plein
une femme pleine
The adjective “plein” must agree in gender and become “pleine” when used with a feminine noun.