Polyglot Dictionary

savoir-vivre

/sa.vwaʁ.vivʁ/

le noun B2

le (masc.) la (fem.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

N Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Meaning

  1. good manners and social know-how — knowing how to behave graciously in any situation

    • Elle a beaucoup de savoir-vivre.

      She has excellent manners and social grace.

N Category Idea Concreteness Abstract Animacy Inanimate Countability Countable Scope Individual

Usage notes

Literally "knowing how to live" — a single word for the whole skill of behaving well in society, not just one rule of etiquette.

Practice

1 What does savoir-vivre mean?

2 Fill the gap: Elle a beaucoup de ___-vivre.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches savoir-vivre?

noun

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