fort

Back to F Words

/fɔʁ/fort

adjective

strong (physically); powerful

Il est fort, il peut soulever cette armoire.

He's strong; he can lift that wardrobe.

Synonyms:costaud, puissant, robuste

adjective

loud (of sound); high in volume

Le son de la télé est beaucoup trop fort.

The TV sound is way too loud.

Synonyms:bruyant, assourdissant

adjective

strong; intense (taste, smell, color, feeling)

Le café est fort ce matin.

The coffee is strong this morning.

Synonyms:intense, puissant

adjective

good at; skilled in (a subject or activity)

Il est fort en maths.

He's really good at math.

Synonyms:doué, calé, bon

nounmasculine

fort (fortification); fortress

L'armée a pris le fort.

The army took the fort.

Synonyms:fortification, bastion

adverb

very; strongly (used adverbially; somewhat formal or literary)

Je l'aime fort.

I love him/her very much.

Synonyms:beaucoup, fortement

Notes

GENERAL INFO

Fort means "strong" (adjective), referring to physical power, intensity, or volume. It also functions as an adverb, meaning "very" or "loudly/strongly."

USAGE

As an adjective, it agrees in gender and number: *un homme fort* (a strong man), *une voix forte* (a loud voice).

As an adverb, it is invariable: *il parle fort* (he speaks loudly), *je suis fort fatigué* (I am very tired).

TRAPS

Remember fort is invariable when used as an adverb; do not make it agree. While it can mean "very," *très* is generally more common and less formal for that meaning.