A common question among French learners is: What are the differences between trop, très, and assez? These adverbs are often used to modify adjectives and other adverbs, but they convey different meanings regarding degree. Let’s clarify their uses with examples!
1. Très (Very)
Très means “very” and is used to emphasize a high degree of a quality. It can be used with both adjectives and adverbs.
Examples:
- Elle est très gentille.
(She is very nice.) - Il court très vite.
(He runs very fast.)
2. Trop (Too)
Trop translates to “too” and indicates that something exceeds a desirable or acceptable limit. It often implies a negative consequence.
Examples:
- C’est trop cher!
(It’s too expensive!) - Elle parle trop vite.
(She talks too fast.)
3. Assez (Enough)
Assez means “enough” and indicates that something is sufficient or adequate, without necessarily being excessive or ideal. It can have both positive and negative connotations depending on the context.
Examples:
- C’est assez intéressant.
(It’s interesting enough.) - Il mange assez.
(He eats enough.)
Summary of Differences
- Très emphasizes a high degree (“very”).
- Trop indicates excess (“too”) and often carries a negative connotation.
- Assez signifies sufficiency (“enough”) and can be neutral or positive.
Additional Examples for Très, Trop, and Assez
Très (Very)
- Elle est très intelligente.
(She is very intelligent.)- Emphasizes the high degree of intelligence.
- Il fait très chaud aujourd’hui.
(It’s very hot today.)- Describes the intensity of the heat.
- Nous sommes très contents de te voir.
(We are very happy to see you.)- Indicates a high level of happiness.
- Cette pièce est très sombre.
(This room is very dark.)- Emphasizes the lack of light.
- Ce film est très intéressant.
(This movie is very interesting.)- Shows the high level of interest.
- Le café est très fort.
(The coffee is very strong.)- Describes the intensity of the coffee’s flavor.
- Elle parle très vite.
(She speaks very quickly.)- Indicates the speed of speaking.
- Il est très fatigué après le marathon.
(He is very tired after the marathon.)- Emphasizes the degree of tiredness.
- Ce vin est très bon.
(This wine is very good.)- Describes the quality of the wine.
- Le livre est très épais.
(The book is very thick.)- Shows the substantial thickness of the book.
- Les enfants étaient très excités avant le spectacle.
(The children were very excited before the show.)- Emphasizes the high level of excitement.
- Ce gâteau est très sucré.
(This cake is very sweet.)- Describes the high sugar content.
- Elle est très douée pour le dessin.
(She is very talented at drawing.)- Highlights a high level of talent.
- La situation est très compliquée.
(The situation is very complicated.)- Indicates the level of complexity.
- Ce chien est très gentil avec les enfants.
(This dog is very gentle with children.)- Emphasizes the dog’s kindness.
Trop (Too, Too Much)
- Il mange trop de chocolat.
(He eats too much chocolate.)- Indicates an excessive quantity.
- Elle parle trop fort.
(She talks too loudly.)- Describes an excessive volume.
- Il fait trop froid pour sortir.
(It’s too cold to go out.)- Suggests an excessive degree of coldness.
- Ce film est trop long.
(This movie is too long.)- Indicates excessive length.
- Tu conduis trop vite !
(You are driving too fast!)- Shows an excessive speed.
- Elle est trop jeune pour comprendre.
(She is too young to understand.)- Suggests an insufficient age.
- C’est trop difficile pour moi.
(It’s too difficult for me.)- Indicates a level of difficulty that is excessive.
- Il y a trop de bruit ici.
(There is too much noise here.)- Describes an excessive amount of noise.
- La soupe est trop chaude.
(The soup is too hot.)- Indicates an excessive temperature.
- Il travaille trop ces derniers temps.
(He has been working too much lately.)- Suggests an excessive amount of work.
- Le sac est trop lourd pour moi.
(The bag is too heavy for me.)- Describes an excessive weight.
- Il a dépensé trop d’argent.
(He spent too much money.)- Indicates an excessive amount of spending.
- La pièce est trop petite pour accueillir tout le monde.
(The room is too small to accommodate everyone.)- Suggests insufficient size.
- Il fait trop sombre pour lire.
(It’s too dark to read.)- Indicates a lack of sufficient light.
- Elle est trop timide pour parler en public.
(She is too shy to speak in public.)- Suggests an excessive level of shyness.
Assez (Enough, Quite)
- Il n’a pas assez dormi.
(He didn’t sleep enough.)- Indicates insufficient sleep.
- Elle est assez grande pour atteindre l’étagère.
(She is tall enough to reach the shelf.)- Describes a sufficient height.
- Le film était assez intéressant.
(The movie was quite interesting.)- Indicates a moderate level of interest.
- Il y a assez de nourriture pour tout le monde.
(There is enough food for everyone.)- Shows sufficient quantity.
- Elle chante assez bien.
(She sings quite well.)- Suggests a fairly good level of skill.
- Il a assez d’argent pour acheter la voiture.
(He has enough money to buy the car.)- Indicates sufficient funds.
- La pièce est assez grande pour accueillir 50 personnes.
(The room is large enough to accommodate 50 people.)- Describes adequate size.
- Il est assez vieux pour conduire.
(He is old enough to drive.)- Indicates a sufficient age.
- Le voyage a été assez long.
(The journey was quite long.)- Suggests a moderate degree of length.
- Elle parle assez fort pour être entendue.
(She speaks loudly enough to be heard.)- Describes adequate volume.
- Le gâteau est assez sucré pour mon goût.
(The cake is sweet enough for my taste.)- Indicates sufficient sweetness.
- Il est assez en forme pour participer à la course.
(He is fit enough to participate in the race.)- Describes sufficient physical fitness.
- Elle est assez courageuse pour essayer.
(She is brave enough to try.)- Indicates sufficient bravery.
- Il fait assez chaud pour aller à la plage.
(It’s warm enough to go to the beach.)- Suggests adequate warmth.
- Nous avons assez de temps pour finir le projet.
(We have enough time to finish the project.)- Indicates sufficient time.