What vocabulary-in-context is: A vocabulary-in-context (le vocabulaire en contexte) question asks what a word or phrase means in this particular text. It comes in two formats:
1. « Quel mot signifie « X » ? » — what does this word mean here?
2. « Trouvez dans les lignes X à Y les mots ou expressions qui signifient: » — find the word/phrase in the text that means Y.
The key idea: use the surrounding context, not just a dictionary. A word can have several meanings, and the sentence around it tells you which one applies here.
- le vocabulaire en contexte
- vocabulary in context
- le sens / la signification
- the meaning
- signifier
- to mean
- le synonyme
- a synonym (a word with the same meaning)
- le faux ami
- a false friend (looks like English but means something else)
- « Trouvez dans le texte… »
- find in the text… (the command for format 2)
Context decides the meaning: The same word can mean different things. The sentence around it — the context — tells you which meaning is right here. Never answer from a dictionary alone; check it fits this sentence.
Two formats, one skill: The two formats look different but test the same skill: reading the context. Whether you're explaining a word's meaning or finding the word that means something, the answer must fit the sentence — and you must beware false friends (les faux amis) that look like English words but mean something else. A third version asks you to relier (match) a list of words to their meanings — same skill, a word bank instead of free text.
| Format | Comment ça marche en vocabulaire en contexte |
|---|---|
| Format 1 | « Quel mot signifie « X » ? » — tu expliques le sens ici |
| Format 2 | « Trouvez dans les lignes X à Y les mots qui signifient Y » — tu repères le synonyme dans le texte |
| Variante « relier » | « Reliez chaque mot à sa signification » — tu associes les mots à une liste de sens |
| La règle d'or | le sens doit coller à la phrase (le contexte) |
| Attention | les faux amis : ils ressemblent à l'anglais mais signifient autre chose |
| D'où vient la réponse ? | du texte et de la phrase qui entoure le mot |
Beware the false friend: Some words look like English but mean something different — e.g. « actuellement » means currently / nowadays, not actually. A meaning that doesn't fit the sentence is a warning sign you've been caught by a faux ami.
Memorize terms 3x faster
Smart flashcards show you cards right before you forget them. Perfect for definitions and key concepts.
Try Flashcards Free7-day free trial • No card required
A reliable vocab routine: Don't reach for a dictionary meaning and stop. Use a routine: locate the word, read around it, infer the meaning from context, match it to the option or find the synonym, and check it fits the sentence. The text is visible, so the clues are all there.
Decode vocab in context — 5 steps
1
Localise (locate)
Find the word or phrase in the text (or, for format 2, find where meaning Y is expressed). Use the line reference.
2
Lis autour (read around)
Read the WHOLE sentence around it — the context, not just the single word.
3
Déduis (infer)
Work out the meaning from the surrounding clues, even if you didn't know the word.
4
Associe (match)
Match it to the option, find the word in the text that means the same, or relier it to its meaning.
5
Vérifie (check fit)
Re-read the sentence with your meaning — does it make sense here? Beware faux amis.
Localise → Lis autour → Déduis → Associe → Vérifie
Read around the word: The meaning lives in the words next to the target word. Even an unknown word can be decoded if you read the whole sentence — the context almost always gives it away.
A vocab-in-context question in action: Here is a short text — the kind Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. The text stays in front of you, so you decode a word from its context rather than recall a dictionary meaning. Read it once for the gist (tap Voir la traduction if you get stuck), then we'll take one vocabulary question through the routine, using the exact instruction wording « Trouvez dans le texte… qui signifie… ».
Le coup de pouce de Théo: Quand Théo est arrivé dans la nouvelle ville, il ne connaissait personne et se sentait seul. Un camarade de classe, le voyant toujours à l'écart, l'a encouragé à s'inscrire au club de randonnée du lycée. Théo hésitait, car il n'avait jamais fait de marche en montagne, mais il a fini par accepter.
Aujourd'hui, ces sorties dans la nature sont ce qu'il préfère. Il s'est fait de bons amis et son ancien quartier ne lui manque plus. « Ce petit coup de pouce de mon camarade », dit-il, « a changé ma vie. »
- à l'écart
- set apart, on one's own (here: keeping to himself)
- encourager (qqn à)
- to encourage (someone to)
- s'inscrire à
- to sign up for / join
- la randonnée
- hiking
- manquer (à qqn)
- to be missed (by someone) — « ça me manque » = I miss it
- le coup de pouce
- the helping hand / nudge (here: a figurative push to act)
Decoding a word from context
Une expression, pas à pas
- Localise the expression — « Trouvez dans le texte l'expression qui signifie « il ne ressent plus l'absence de son ancien quartier ». » We find « son ancien quartier ne lui manque plus ».
- Read around and infer. The context: he has made good friends and is happy now, so « ne lui manque plus » must mean he no longer misses his old neighbourhood.
- Vérifie / check it fits — swapping in « il ne regrette plus son ancien quartier » reads correctly. So « manquer (à qqn) » = to miss.
Let the sentence prove the meaning: You can decode « ne lui manque plus » without ever having learnt this use of « manquer », just from the happy, settled context around it. Always confirm by re-reading the sentence with your meaning slotted in.
Know your predicted grade
Take timed mock exams and get detailed feedback on every answer. See exactly where you're losing marks.
Try Mock Exams Free7-day free trial • No card required
Where vocab marks are lost: Most vocab-in-context marks are lost to three traps: trusting a faux ami (e.g. « actuellement » ≠ actually), ignoring the context and using a dictionary meaning that doesn't fit, and choosing a literal meaning that doesn't fit the sentence. Compare the two columns.
Bonnes pratiques
- Read the whole sentence around the word.
- Choose the meaning that fits THIS context.
- Confirm by re-reading the sentence with your meaning.
- Be alert to false friends and check them against the context.
Erreurs typiques
- Trust a false friend (e.g. « actuellement » = actually — wrong).
- Ignore the context and use a dictionary meaning that doesn't fit.
- Pick a literal meaning that makes no sense in the sentence.
- Decide on the word alone without reading around it.
False friends fail the fit test: A false friend nearly always fails the fit test: slot its English-looking meaning into the sentence and it won't make sense. « Actuellement » means currently, not actually — and reading the sentence shows it.