Intensifier – intensif
Let's Define It!
What's an *intensifier*?
An intensifier or (intensif in French) is a modifier whose sole purpose is to enhance the word it modifies.
On est vraiment confortable ici.
One of the most common intensifiers is très.
A sentence with the intensifier très:
Elle est très belle. / She is very beautiful.
Many French adverbs in -ment such as vraiment or réellement can be used as emphasis/intensifiers, but some don't. An adverb like patiemment cannot be an intensifier.
Je suis vraiment désolé. I am truly sorry.
In French, intensifiers can only modify adjectives and adverbs.
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Let's Pronounce It!
What does it sound like in French?
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Let's Have an Example or Two!
Can a little reinforcement do the trick?
Here, I'm providing a few examples of intensifiers.
- Vous êtes super cool - You're really cool.
- Cette histoire est incroyablement étrange. This story is incredibly strange.
- Elle est excessivement difficile comme amie. She is excessively difficult.
- Il est trop sérieux pour faire cela. He is too serious to do that.
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