vrai/vʁɛ/
adjective / noun / adverb · A1 · Frequency 181
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
true, real
Indicates a state that corresponds to fact or actual existence.
honest, sincere, truthful
Used to describe a person's qualities, indicating honesty and sincerity.
Examples
Ce document est vrai, et les archives le confirment.
This document is true, and the archives confirm it.
Un vrai professionnel reconnaît ses erreurs.
A real professional admits his mistakes.
Avec ses collègues, Marc est toujours vrai et direct.
Marc is always sincere and direct with his colleagues.
Collocations
- un vrai amia true friend
Common mistakes
C'est vrai que le ciel est bleu ?
Est-ce vrai que le ciel est bleu ?
While 'c'est vrai que...' occurs in informal speech, it is grammatically incorrect as a direct yes/no question; the standard interrogative form requires inversion: 'Est-ce vrai que...' or 'Est-il vrai que...'.
Il est vrai avec ses amis.
Il est sincère avec ses amis.
'Vrai' cannot be used predicatively with 'avec' to describe interpersonal honesty; 'sincère' is the correct adjective for this meaning. 'Vrai' in sense_02 only appears attributively (e.g., 'un homme vrai') or in set phrases — never with prepositional complements like 'avec ses amis'.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
truth
Used commonly in philosophical or abstract contexts to denote truth.
reality, fact
Refers to concrete existence or objective facts, often contrasted with falsehood or illusion.
Examples
Le vrai ne dépend pas de l'opinion de la majorité.
Truth does not depend on the opinion of the majority.
Avec le temps, le vrai finit par apparaître.
In time, the truth eventually emerges.
Cette enquête cherche le vrai derrière les apparences.
This investigation seeks the truth behind appearances.
Collocations
- distinguer le vrai du fauxdistinguish truth from falsehood
Common mistakes
distinguer le vrai de le faux
distinguer le vrai du faux
The preposition de contracts with the masculine singular article le: de + le becomes du, so the phrase is distinguer le vrai du faux.
Related words
synonymvéritétruth
adverb
Meanings
true; truly
Adverb, commonly used in spoken language to emphasize truth or certainty, usually placed at the beginning or middle of a sentence.
Examples
C'est vrai que ce film est très intéressant et captivant.
It is true that this movie is very interesting and captivating.
Il est vrai que tu as beaucoup travaillé cette semaine.
It is true that you have worked a lot this week.
Collocations
- vrai ou fauxtrue or false
- c'est vraiit's true
- vrai amitrue friend
Related words
adjectivefeminine
Meanings
true, real
Indicates a state that corresponds to fact or actual existence.
honest, sincere, truthful
Used to describe a person's qualities, indicating honesty and sincerity.
Examples
Cette histoire est vraie, malgré les apparences.
This story is true despite appearances.
La vraie raison de son départ est restée secrète.
The real reason for her departure remained secret.
C'est une amie vraie, toujours prête à dire ce qu'elle pense.
She is a sincere friend who is always ready to say what she thinks.
adjectivemasculine
Meanings
true, real
Indicates a state that corresponds to fact or actual existence.
honest, sincere, truthful
Used to describe a person's qualities, indicating honesty and sincerity.
Examples
Ces chiffres sont vrais et vérifiables dans les archives municipales.
These figures are true and can be verified in the municipal archives.
Les vrais responsables ont finalement reconnu leur erreur.
The real people responsible eventually admitted their mistake.
Mes collègues sont de vrais amis, même dans les périodes difficiles.
My colleagues are true friends, even during difficult times.