Level A2 (Upper Beginner)
Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French word of the day is environ, meaning “about” or “approximately.” I picked this word after recently covering à peu près, which also means “about.” Environ comes in super handy for talking about numbers, times, and measurements. Keep reading.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
Subscribe to the French Word of the Day
📘 Environ meaning
Environ is a common French adverb meaning “about,” “around,” or “approximately.” It’s used to give an estimate when talking about quantities, ages, distances, lengths, or times. You’ll often hear it in sentences like Il y a environ vingt personnes (There are about twenty people) or Le trajet dure environ une heure (The trip takes about an hour).
🎧 How to pronounce environ in French
👉 The pronunciation of environ is /ɑ̃.vi.ʁɔ̃/ — roughly ahn-vee-roh(n).
📝 Environ example sentences
Elle a environ cent photos de son voyage à Paris.
She has about one hundred photos from her trip to Paris.
Jean-Luc a environ trente ans.
Jean-Luc is about thirty years old.
Le trajet dure environ une heure.
The trip lasts about an hour.
La ville est à environ dix kilomètres d’ici.
The town is about ten kilometers from here.
La table mesure environ deux mètres de long.
The table is about two meters long.
🆚 Environ vs. à peu près — What’s the difference?
À peu près means “about,” “roughly,” or “approximately,” but it’s a bit more flexible and conversational. You can use it before adjectives, adverbs, or whole ideas — not just numbers.
➜ Je comprends à peu près tout. I understand more or less everything.
Environ also means “about” or “around,” but it’s mainly used before numbers, quantities, or measurements. It usually comes right before a number or after a verb.
➜ Le trajet dure environ une heure. The trip takes about an hour.
👉 See more: À peu près — Word of the Day »
🇫🇷 Want to get better at using natural French words like environ?
Many students tell me they love these daily audio lessons but want to go deeper into how real French is spoken. If that’s you, I highly recommend À Moi Paris, the flagship course from French Today. Camille teaches authentic, story-based French filled with everyday expressions — recorded at three speeds and available for all levels.
👉 Try the course »
👉 Read my review »
If you purchase a course, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- à peu près — about, roughly, approximately
- presque — almost, nearly
- vers — around (used with time, e.g. vers huit heures)
- autour de — around (used with place or quantity, e.g. autour de dix personnes)
- approximativement — approximately
- plus ou moins — more or less
🚀 Continue learning French online on FrenchLearner!
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French Vocabulary lists »
👉 French for beginners guide »
👉 French song lyrics hub »
👉 French conjugations hub »
