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French Xpressions
The French letter x has a number of different meanings, including unknown, umpteen, and a particular school in France. Learn these and more meanings behind the letter x.
X in French and English
French and English share several uses of x, especially in math and science:
| l’axe des x | x-axis | |
| calculer pour x | to calculate for x | |
| la charge X | X charge | |
| le chromosome x | X chromosome | |
| croisés en x | crossed, forming an x | |
| faire un X | to make/form an X | |
| le facteur X | X factor | |
| un film X un film classé X |
X-rated movie | |
| un rayon X | X-ray | |
| le rayonnement X | X-radiation | |
| résoudre pour x | to solve for x | |
| la vision à rayons X | X-ray vision |
X is also the Roman numeral 10.
X = anonymous
X provides anonymity in various expressions.
| un accouchement sous X | anonymous birth | |
| accoucher sous X | to give birth anonymously | |
| un enfant né sous X | child born to unknown mother | |
| une information contre X | inquiry against person unknown | |
| une plainte contre X | complaint/action against person unknown | |
| Monsieur X Madame X |
Mr. X, John Doe Mrs. X, Jane Doe |
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| témoigner sous x | to testify anonymously |
X = unknown quantity
X can also stand in for an unknown or unspecified amount.
| depuis x années depuis x temps |
in many years in a long time, in ages |
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| pendant x années pendant x temps |
for many years for a long time, for ages |
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| x fois | umpteen times | |
| l’ixième fois | the umpteenth time |
X = École polytechnique
When used with an article and capitalized, X generally refers to l’École polytechnique, a prestigious French engineering school.
| l’X | l’École polytechnique | |
| un X une X |
student or graduate of l’École polytechnique |
Miscellaneous Xpressions
| les jambes en x | knock-knees | ||
| x-ographie | xography, 3D photography | ||
| les x | (archaic) | math | |
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