What does surtout in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word surtout in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use surtout in French.

The word surtout in French means especially, mainly, mostly, above all, most importantly, in particular, overcoat, epergne, definitely not, definitely not, especially since, especially as, particularly when. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word surtout

especially

adverbe (plus que tout)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
J'aime surtout la musique rock.
I especially like rock music.

mainly, mostly

adverbe (majoritairement)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
À la réunion, il y avait surtout des personnes âgées.
It was mainly lots of old people at the meeting.

above all, most importantly, in particular

adverbe (avant toute chose)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Surtout, écoute bien le professeur.
ⓘCette phrase n'est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Whatever you do, don't drink the tap water!

overcoat

nom masculin (vieux (vêtement ample)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il mettait un surtout et partait marcher.
He put on an overcoat and went out for a walk.

epergne

nom masculin (plateau pour centre de table) (table decoration)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La maîtresse de maison a placé des compositions florales sur les surtouts.
The hostess put floral arrangements in the epergne.

definitely not

locution adverbiale (plus particulièrement pas)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Tu peux préparer des légumes mais surtout pas de haricots.

definitely not

interjection (Il ne vaut mieux pas !)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
Tu veux lui servir du poisson ? Oh non, surtout pas ! Il déteste ça.

especially since, especially as, particularly when

locution conjonction (d'autant plus que)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Joue doucement pour ne pas réveiller ton frère, surtout qu'il est malade.
Play quietly so as not to waken your brother, especially since he is ill.

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So now that you know more about the meaning of surtout in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.