VocabuoDictionaryGet the app
nounnounverb

la foire

fair

Definition & meaning

  1. A fair, market, or exhibition. This refers to a periodic public event where goods are sold, often including entertainment like rides, games, or stalls.
  2. A mess or a disaster. In informal or colloquial French, this describes a situation that is chaotic, disorganized, or completely out of control.
  3. A severe case of diarrhea. Used in the colloquial expression avoir la foire, it refers to an urgent need to use the bathroom due to digestive issues.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a feminine noun (une foire).

Etymologically, it comes from the Old French foire, derived from the Latin feria, which originally meant a "holiday" or "day of rest," later evolving to mean the markets that were often held on religious feast days.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • For the sense of a market/exhibition: marché , exposition , salon , kermesse .
  • For the sense of a mess: pagaille , désordre , bazar .

Antonyms:

  • For the sense of a mess/chaos: ordre , organisation .

Make “foire” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Get Vocabuo on the App StoreGet Vocabuo for Android

Examples

Je vais à la foire avec toi.noun

I am going to the fair with you.

Keep exploring French

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play