Useful French Expression
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| Meaning | (in) bulk; jumbled together, disorderly, randomly | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[ah(n) vrahk] |
| IPA | [ã vrak] | |
Usage notes: The French word vrac refers to any sort of product – edible or inedible – that isn’t packaged in the traditional manner. It’s mainly used in the adverbial expression en vrac.
Par exemple…
| Je préfère acheter les pois chiches en vrac. | I prefer buying unpackaged chickpeas / chickpeas in bulk / bulk chickpeas. | |
| Le vin en vrac est souvent imbuvable. | Bulk wine (e.g., box wine) is often undrinkable. |
En vrac can also refer to any group of items jumbled together.
Par exemple…
| Ne mets pas tout en vrac dans les cartons. | Don’t jumble everything into the boxes. | |
| Il y a un tas de jouets en vrac dans la malle. | There’s a jumble of toys in the trunk. |
And it can be used figuratively for intangibles like ideas.
Par exemple…
| D’abord, il faut jeter en vrac des idées sur le papier. | First, you have to get some ideas down on paper. | |
| Pourquoi doit-elle toujours citer en vrac les philosophes ? | Why does she always have to randomly quote philosophers? |
Expressions
- acheter en vrac – to buy in bulk, as a job lot
- tomber en vrac – to tumble out
- vendre en vrac – to sell in bulk, as a job lot
Related terms
- la cargaison en vrac – bulk cargo
- les marchandises en vrac – bulk cargo
- le présentoir d’articles en vrac – dump bin / display
- le transport en vrac – bulk transport
- le transporteur en vrac – bulk carrier
- le vraquier – bulk carrier
Related lessons
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