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Antonyms - French lesson

1. What is an antonym?
An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word.

Examples:

grand (big) / petit (small)

chaud (hot) / froid (cold)

2. Why use antonyms?
They help you to:

-express clear oppositions

-enrich your vocabulary

-make your language more precise and interesting

3. Types of antonyms with examples:
a) Complementary antonyms:
These words exclude each other completely.
Examples:

vivant (alive) / mort (dead)

présent (present) / absent (absent)

vrai (true) / faux (false)

ouvert (open) / fermé (closed)

possible (possible) / impossible (impossible)

b) Gradable antonyms:
These words express opposite meanings but there can be intermediate degrees between them.
Examples:

chaud (hot) / froid (cold) - with tiède (lukewarm) in between.

grand (big) / petit (small) - with moyen (medium) in between.

rapide (fast) / lent (slow) - with modéré (moderate) in between.

c) Relational antonyms (or conversive antonyms):
These are words linked by a reciprocal relationship; one cannot exist without the other.
Examples:

- acheter (to buy) / vendre (to sell)

- prêter (to lend) / emprunter (to borrow)

- mari (husband) / femme (wife)

- enseigner (to teach) / apprendre (to learn)

- gagner (to win) / perdre (to lose)

4. A more complete list of antonyms:

5. Examples of sentences with antonyms:

Le ciel est clair aujourd'hui, mais il était sombre hier soir.
The sky is clear today, but it was dark last night.

Ce chemin est facile, mais celui-là est difficile.
This road is easy, but that one is difficult.

Elle est heureuse parce qu'elle est libre, tandis que son frère est triste et prisonnier.
She is happy because she is free, while her brother is sad and imprisoned.

La porte est ouverte, la fenêtre est fermée.
The door is open, the window is closed.

Mon sac est léger, mais ton sac est lourd.
My bag is light, but your bag is heavy.

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1. La porte est ouverte, mais la fenêtre est .The door is open, but the window is __.

2. Ce chemin est rapide, mais l’autre est très .This path is fast, but the other one is very __.

3. Mon frère est petit, ma sœur est .My brother is small, my sister is __.

4. Cet objet est lourd, celui-ci est très .This object is heavy, this one is very __.

5. Aujourd’hui, il fait chaud, mais demain il fera .Today it is hot, but tomorrow it will be __.

6. La chambre est propre, mais la salle de bain est .The bedroom is clean, but the bathroom is __.

7. Le film était facile à comprendre, mais le livre était .The movie was easy to understand, but the book was __.

8. Le ciel est clair ce matin, mais hier soir il était .The sky is clear this morning, but last night it was __.

9. Mon grand-père est vieux, mais mon petit frère est .My grandfather is old, but my little brother is __.

10. Le lion est fort, mais la gazelle est très __.The lion is strong, but the gazelle is very .