Paris word
grave
Totally, seriously, definitely, or very.
Uses your device’s built-in voice. Pronunciation is approximate because available voices and paris pronunciation vary.
Meaning
In informal French, grave can intensify agreement or degree. It may mean totally, definitely, seriously, or very, depending on the sentence.
Pronunciation and grammar
Pronunciation: /ɡʁav/
Part of speech: adverb and interjection
How it is used
It is common as a short response of strong agreement and before adjectives or verbs for emphasis.
Register: Informal contemporary French.
Examples in context
- Tu viens ce soir ? Grave !Are you coming tonight? Definitely!
- J'ai grave aimé le concert.I really loved the concert.
Important context
In formal French, grave usually means serious or severe; the slang intensifier depends on informal context.
Source
Origin and background
In informal French, grave often works as an intensifier or emphatic agreement marker, meaning very, seriously, absolutely, or definitely.
Cultural context
The slang use differs from the standard adjective meaning serious or grave. Position and intonation show whether the speaker is intensifying a description or agreeing with someone.
When to use it
Use it casually to strengthen a statement or show emphatic agreement.
When not to use it
Avoid it in formal writing where a clearer adverb or complete response is preferable.
Example conversation
A: That concert was worth the wait.
B: Grave! The last song was incredible.
Read the exchange as a complete interaction. Relationship, intonation, timing, and the reply often communicate more than a literal dictionary substitution.
Common misunderstanding
“Grave!” in conversation may mean “absolutely,” not that something is dangerous or medically serious.
Regional and speaker variation
Grave is not used with identical frequency or meaning by every speaker in Paris and informal French. Age, neighbourhood, community, profession, formality, and personal style affect whether it sounds ordinary, marked, playful, dated, or unfamiliar.
Recognition is therefore different from permission to perform a local identity. Visitors and learners usually sound more natural when they understand the term first and use neutral language until the relationship and setting support it.
How to interpret real examples
Compare several complete examples rather than copying one sentence. Check who is speaking, what happened immediately before it, how the listener responds, and whether the expression softens, intensifies, jokes, agrees, or criticises.
Spelling is also an imperfect guide to sound. Use the pronunciation support as orientation, then listen for rhythm, stress, reductions, and speaker variation in full phrases.
Similar words and related language
- carrément
- trop
- absolument
Compare this entry with the Paris and informal French guide for this usage type and the complete LocalMean guide directory.