French · Emotions & Descriptions

"Heavy" in French: lourd(e)

lourd(e)

Say it: loor / loordadjective/luʁ/ /luʁd/

Heavy in French is lourd (m) or lourde (f). Cette valise est lourde means this suitcase is heavy. C'est lourd can also mean that's a lot / that's heavy emotionally.

Luggage

Ta valise est trop lourde pour l'avion.
Your suitcase is too heavy for the plane.
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How to pronounce lourd(e)

Say it

loor / loord

/luʁ/ /luʁd/

Lourd: loor. Lourde: loord. The final d of lourd is usually silent.

"Heavy" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
lourd / lourdeheavy

Weight and metaphor.

trop lourdtoo heavy

Lifting / portions.

un repas lourda heavy meal

Food.

poids lourdtruck / heavyweight

Vehicles / sports.

How to use lourd(e) in real life

  1. 1Luggage

    Ta valise est trop lourde pour l'avion.

    Your suitcase is too heavy for the plane.

    Lourde + feminine valise.

  2. 2Moving day

    Ce carton est lourd, aide-moi.

    This box is heavy — help me.

    Lourd + masculine carton.

  3. 3Food

    Le fromage est délicieux mais un peu lourd.

    The cheese is delicious but a bit heavy.

    Lourd for rich food.

Mistakes English speakers make with lourd(e)

Incorrect: Une valise lourd.

Correct: Une valise lourde.

Feminine nouns take lourde.

Incorrect: C'est heavy.

Correct: C'est lourd.

Use lourd, not English heavy.

Good to know

C'est lourd in conversation can mean "that's a lot to deal with," not only physical weight. For people, avoid calling someone lourd unless you mean socially annoying.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Carrying shopping

  1. ChatPal

    Ce sac est lourd, non ?

    This bag is heavy, right?

  2. You

    Oui, trop lourd pour un seul bras.

    Yes, too heavy for one arm.

  3. ChatPal

    On partage les bouteilles.

    Let's split the bottles.

  4. You

    Bonne idée.

    Good idea.

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"Heavy" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Heavy" in French

How do you say heavy in French?

Lourd / lourde.

When do I use lourde?

With feminine nouns: une boîte lourde.

Can c'est lourd be figurative?

Yes — "that's a lot" / emotionally heavy.

How do you pronounce lourd?

loor; lourde is loord.

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