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Translating "free" into French

The English word “free” can be an adjective, adverb, verb, or noun and has a number of different meanings, which can make it difficult to translate into French. Take a look at this lesson on how to say free in French.

Free = adjective

1) free = costing nothing = gratuit, (informal) gratis

free admission entrĂ©e gratuite, entrĂ©e libre
free deliveryla livraison gratuite, franco de port
free French lessonsleçons de français gratuites
free newspaperun journal gratis
free offerune offre gratuite
free sampleun échantillon gratuit
free tripun voyage gratis

2) free = at liberty; not imprisoned, tied up, or controlled = libre

as free as a bird, as free as the air (UK) libre comme l’air
the free movement of peoplela libre circulation des personnes
free radicalun radical libre

3) free = politically independent = libre

free elections les Ă©lections libres
free enterprisela libre entreprise
free-enterprise economyune économie de marché
free pressla presse libre
free tradele libre-échange
free-traderun libre-échangiste
free worldle monde libre
the Free French Forces,
Free French Army
les Forces françaises libres

4) free = unrestrained = libre

free association la libre association
free choicele choix libre
free climbingune escalade libre
free divingla plongée libre
free fallune chute libre
in free fallen chute libre
to go into free fallentamer une chute libre
free kick un coup franc, un coup de pied arrĂȘtĂ©
free loveun amour libre
free-fire zoneun secteur / une zone de tir libre
free flightle vol libre
free skatingles figures libres de patinage
free spiritun esprit libre
free-spirited(person) libre d’esprit, (ways) libre
free translationla traduction libre
free versele vers libre
free willle libre arbitre, son propre gré
You’re free to chooseVous ĂȘtes libre de choisir

5) free = unoccupied, available, not taken/used = libre

free period/hour une heure (de) libre
I will be free at 2 o’clockje serai libre Ă  14 heures
free spaceun espace libre
This seat is free (empty)Cette place est libre
Is this table free?Cette table est-elle libre ?
one’s free handsa main libre
to have one’s hands freeavoir les mains libres

6) free from/of

= dégagé de, non touché par, non soumis à, sans

free from obligation dĂ©gagĂ© de toute obligation
free of malarianon touché par la malaria
free from copyrightnon soumis au droit d’auteur
free of worriessans souci

Free = adverb

1) free = without payment = gratuitement, gratis

to enter free of charge entrer gratuitement
to travel for freevoyager gratis

2) free = without restraint = en liberté

to leave someone free (at large) laisser quelqu’un en libertĂ©

Free in expressions and compound nouns

duty freeexonéré, hors taxe
to be a free agentavoir toute libertĂ© d’action
free and easy dĂ©contractĂ©, dĂ©sinvolte
free clinicun dispensaire
It’s a free country!On est en rĂ©publique !
On peut faire ce qu’on veut ici !
free energyune énergie libre, utilisable
free fightune mĂȘlĂ©e gĂ©nĂ©rale
free-floating
 
 
 
(in water)
(person)
 
qui flotte librement
sans attaches
free-for-allla mĂȘlĂ©e gĂ©nĂ©rale
free giftun cadeau publicitaire
as a free giften prime, en cadeau
free hand (to do whatever you want)carte blanche
to give (someone) a free handdonner carte blanche Ă  (quelqu’un)
to have a free hand to do somethingavoir carte blanche pour faire quelque chose
free hitle coup franc
free house (UK)un pub qui n’appartient pas Ă  une chaĂźne
free jazzle free-jazz
free kickun coup franc
free labor (i.e., non-union)la main-d’Ɠuvre non syndiquĂ©e
There’s no such thing as a free lunchTout se paie
free market, free-market economyune économie de marché
free-marketeerun partisan de l’Ă©conomie de marchĂ©
free of chargegratuit, gratuitement
free on board(freight)franco Ă  bord
free on rail(freight)franco wagon
free periodune heure (de) libre, une heure sans cours
free portle port franc
free-range eggun Ɠuf de poule Ă©levĂ©e en plein air
free-range poultrydes poulets élevés en plein air
to get a free ride(figurative)profiter de la situation
free shotun lancer franc, un coup franc
free speechla liberté de parole
free-standingsur pied
free-stylingle ski acrobatique
free throwun lancer franc
free-trade zonela zone franche
free voteun vote en conscience (sans consigne de vote)
The land of the freeLe pays de la liberté
tax freeexonéré, hors taxe

Free as a verb and in expressions with verbs

to be/get free of someonese dĂ©barrasser/ĂȘtre dĂ©barrassĂ© de quelqu’un
to be free (at liberty)ĂȘtre en libertĂ©
to feel free (to do)se sentir libre (de), ne pas hésiter (à)
May I … ? Feel free.Puis-je … ? Je vous en prie, Faites.
to free (release, liberate, set free) affranchir, libĂ©rer, mettre en libertĂ©
to free (unblock) a pipedébloquer, déboucher
to be free to do somethingĂȘtre libre de faire qqchose
to free fromlibérer, débarrasser, délivrer de
to free from burdensoulager, débarrasser
to free from a knotdétacher
to free from taxexempter, exonérer
to free from wreckagedégager, désincarcérer
to free oneself fromse libérer, se débarrasser, se dégager, se délivrer de
to free updégager, libérer
to get free (escape)se libérer
to go free (be let go)ĂȘtre relĂąchĂ©, ĂȘtre mis en libertĂ©
to leave free to dolaisser carte blanche Ă  quelqu’un
to pull free fromse libérer, se débarrasser, se dégager, se délivrer de

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1 Response

  1. Martin Fisher 17 October 2018 / 11:28

    Pleased to see that the French don’t say ‘for free’ which isn’t correct English, as if you use ‘for’ it should indicate an amount, and ‘free’ isn’t that. You travel ‘free’, that is without cost.

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