What does vif in French mean?

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

The word vif in French means lively, quick, keen, sharp, strong, over-the-top, strong, bright, bright, brilliant, vivid, brisk, crisp, bracing, alive, sharp, jagged, live bait, heart, flesh, living flesh, over an open fire, over an open flame, broken, on edge, uptight, cantankerous, be quick-witted, be on edge, burnt alive, caught live, captured live, make a quick sketch of, at a brisk pace, hypersensitive, buried alive, get to the heart of the matter, dead or alive, sharp eye, keen eye, peel with a knife, cut to the quick, cut to the quick, draw blood from, caught red-handed, bright red, bright-red, captured live, taken from life, taken on the spot, from life, unposed, cut into the flesh, get straight to the point, get straight to the heart of the matter, cut to the quick, cut into the flesh, take drastic action, quick-witted, sharp-minded, keen interest, quicksilver, Mercury. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word vif

lively, quick

adjectif (qui réagit vite) (person)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Cet enfant est vif.
This child is lively.

keen, sharp

adjectif (qui a de la vie)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Le regard de ce garçon est vif.
That boy has a keen expression in his eyes.

strong, over-the-top

adjectif (excessif) (words)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Il tient des propos un peu trop vifs.
He used some words that were a bit too strong.

strong, bright

adjectif (figuré (lumière, son : fort) (light)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Cette lumière vive me gène.
This bright light is bothering me.

bright, brilliant, vivid

adjectif (figuré (éclatant) (colour)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Elle est magnifique dans cette robe rouge vif.
She is magnificent in that bright red dress.

brisk, crisp, bracing

adjectif (vivifiant) (air)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
L'air vif de l'hiver nous revigorait.
The bracing winter air reinvigorated us.

alive

adjectif (en vie)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Au Moyen Âge, les sorcières étaient brûlées vives.
In the Middle Ages, witches were burnt alive.

sharp, jagged

adjectif (figuré (acéré) (edge)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Fais attention à ces rochers, leurs contours sont vifs.
Be careful of these rocks, their edges are sharp.

live bait

nom masculin (Pêche : appât vivant)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Philippe pêche au vif.
Philip fishes with live bait.

heart

nom masculin (figuré (partie principale) (figurative)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il n'entre jamais tout de suite dans le vif du sujet.
He never gets straight to the heart of the matter.

flesh, living flesh

nom masculin (chair)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
J'ai dû lui tailler dans le vif pour lui retirer cette écharde.
I had to cut into his flesh to pull out the splinter.

over an open fire, over an open flame

locution adverbiale (à haute température)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Saisissez la viande à feu vif.

broken

locution adjectivale (dont la chair apparaît, sans peau) (skin)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Dès que la peau est à vif, il faut la soigner.
If the skin is broken, it needs to be treated.

on edge, uptight, cantankerous

locution adjectivale (figuré (très sensible)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

be quick-witted

locution verbale (comprendre rapidement)

be on edge

locution verbale (être très énervé) (tense, nervous)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

burnt alive

locution adjectivale (brûlé vivant)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Autrefois les sorcières étaient brûlées vives.

caught live, captured live

locution adjectivale (pris sur le fait)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

make a quick sketch of

locution verbale (faire un portrait sans que [qqn] pose)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

at a brisk pace

locution adverbiale (rapidement)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Pressée par l'heure tardive, elle rentrait chez elle d'un pas vif.

hypersensitive

locution adjectivale (figuré (très sensible)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Vas-y doucement avec Nathalie, c'est une écorchée vive.

buried alive

locution adjectivale (inhumé vivant)

Certains poilus périrent enterrés vifs sous les bombardements.

get to the heart of the matter

locution verbale (aborder le point principal)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

dead or alive

locution adjectivale (mort ou vivant)

sharp eye, keen eye

nom masculin (regard alerte)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

peel with a knife

locution verbale (agrumes : enlever la peau au couteau)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

cut to the quick

locution adjectivale (dont la susceptibiilté est touchée) (figurative)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

cut to the quick

locution verbale (figuré (vexer, irriter [qqn]) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ce refus la piqua au vif.

draw blood from

locution verbale (piquer jusqu'au sang)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Son frère la piqua au vif en jouant avec une aiguille.

caught red-handed

locution adjectivale (surpris en pleine action)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

bright red

nom masculin (nuance de rouge) (color)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

bright-red

adjectif invariable (de couleur rouge vif) (color)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

captured live, taken from life, taken on the spot

locution adjectivale (pris dans l'instant)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

from life, unposed

locution adverbiale (qui témoigne d'un instant t)

cut into the flesh

locution verbale (entailler les chairs)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

get straight to the point, get straight to the heart of the matter

locution verbale (figuré (agir sans détours)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

cut to the quick

adjectif (touché psychologiquement)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

cut into the flesh

locution verbale (tailler dans les chairs)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

take drastic action

locution verbale (prendre des mesures drastiques)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

quick-witted, sharp-minded

adjectif (intelligent, qui comprend vite)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")

keen interest

nom masculin (intérêt très important pour [qch])

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

quicksilver, Mercury

nom masculin (vieilli (chimie: mercure)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Un litre de vif-argent pèse 14 kg.

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