VocabLibre

but

Basic

noun

Editor's Note: "but" is a fundamental French word (noun) that every beginner should master early. It ranks among the most frequently used words in French corpora.
Fr\u00e9quence du motRare

Définition

Mot français : but. Un terme fréquemment utilisé dans la langue française.

Did You Know?

The French word "but" has fascinating roots: From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *.... Exploring etymology is one of the best ways to remember French vocabulary.

Exemples

1.

« The but is an important concept in modern discourse. »

2.

« We discussed the but at length during the meeting. »

3.

« This but has been studied extensively. »

Étymologie

From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *buttaz (“end, piece”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”); see butt. The semantic development from "mound" to "target" is likely from martial training practice. The final /t/ is from the old pausal and liaison pronunciation; its (partial) restoratio

Synonymes et Antonymes

Conseils d'Usage

masculine

Mots Associés

Questions Fréquentes

Que signifie « but » ?
Mot français : but. Un terme fréquemment utilisé dans la langue française.
Quelle est la nature grammaticale de « but » ?
« but » peut être utilisé comme : noun.
Comment utiliser « but » dans une phrase ?
The but is an important concept in modern discourse. Aussi : We discussed the but at length during the meeting.
Quelle est l'origine de « but » ?
From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *buttaz (“end, piece”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”); see butt. The semantic development from "mound" to "target" is likely from martial training practice. The final /t/ is from the old pausal and liaison pronunciation; its (partial) restoratio
Quels sont les synonymes de « but » ?
Synonymes courants : similar, comparable, related. Antonymes : opposite, contrary, inverse.

Comparer « but »

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Ressources Associées

Data verified March 2026 · Source: Wiktionnaire, CNRTL & Corpus Frantext

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Équipe Lexicographique VocabLibre

Nos définitions sont compilées à partir de bases lexicographiques fiables, vérifiées par analyse linguistique computationnelle et mises à jour mensuellement.

Sources : Bases Lexicographiques Françaises · Données du Corpus Linguistique · Archives Étymologiques

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