What does certain in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word certain in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use certain in French.

The word certain in French means certain, certain, sure, some, someone named, someone called, certain, certainty, at one point, at some point, after a while, have a decided taste for, of a certain age, of a certain age, for some time, for a while, up to a certain point, absolutely sure, absolutely certain. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word certain

certain

adjectif (sûr)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
À dix contre un, la victoire est certaine.
At ten to one, a win is certain.

certain, sure

adjectif (assuré)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
S'il continue à jouer comme cela, sa victoire est certaine !
If he keeps on playing like that, he is certain (or: sure) to win!

some

adjectif (indéterminé)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Le fût du canon met un certain temps à se refroidir.
The stock of a cannon takes some time to cool down.

someone named, someone called

adjectif (personne : indéterminée)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Une certaine Tania voulait te voir.
A Mr Duchemin would like to speak to you.

certain

adjectif (assez avancé)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Ma collègue a déjà un âge certain.
My colleague is already of a certain age.

certainty

nom masculin (domaine des certitudes)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le certain ne laisse pas de place au doute.
Certainty leaves no room for doubt.

at one point, at some point

locution adverbiale (à un moment donné)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Notre conversation fut interrompue à un certain moment par une visite inopinée.

after a while

locution verbale (après un temps indéterminé)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Après un certain temps, on maîtrise mieux son travail.

have a decided taste for

locution verbale (apprécier particulièrement [qch])

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

of a certain age

locution adjectivale (euphémisme (assez vieux) (euphemism)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
J'ai laissé passer une dame d'un âge certain devant moi au supermarché.
I allowed a lady of a certain age to go in front of me at the supermarket.

of a certain age

locution adverbiale (qui n'est plus jeune, âgé)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Notre nouveau professeur de maths est une femme d'un certain âge.

for some time, for a while

locution verbale (depuis un temps indéterminé)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Depuis un certain temps, il ne parle plus de lui.
He hasn't spoken of him for some time.

up to a certain point

locution adverbiale (pas au delà d'un certain seuil)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

absolutely sure, absolutely certain

locution adjectivale (absolument sûr)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Elle est sûre et certaine d'avoir fermé à clef.

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of certain in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Related words of certain

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.