Court (or its feminine form, courte) is the most common way to say “short” in French. But just like in English, there are many other nuances and situations where you might want to use a different word.

Whether you're describing a person, a period of time, or an article of clothing, knowing a variety of terms for "short" will make your French sound much more natural and precise.

Let’s dive into 9 different ways to express "short" in French and enrich your vocabulary!

The standard 'short' (for length, duration, or height) – court/courte

The standard “short” (for length, duration, or height) – court/courte

Court(e) is the most basic and common adjective for “short” in French. It is primarily used to describe length, duration, and occasionally height.

Like many French adjectives, court(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You will encounter it in these forms:

• court - masculine singular (e.g., un chemin court - a short path)
• courte - feminine singular (e.g., une robe courte - a short dress)
• courts - masculine plural (e.g., des cheveux courts - short hair)
• courtes - feminine plural (e.g., des vacances courtes - short holidays)

The most frequent use of court/courte is to describe physical length. This can apply to objects, distances, clothing, or even hair.

Another very common application is to express a short period of time or duration. This could be for events, films, breaks, or visits.

While less common than for length or duration, court/courte can also describe height, particularly when referring to objects or sometimes people in a specific context (e.g., 'too short to reach'). For describing a person's general stature, petit(e) (small) is usually preferred.

The adverbial form is courtement, meaning 'briefly'. You might also hear expressions like être à court de quelque chose (to run out of something), or raconter une histoire courte (to tell a short story).

It's important to distinguish court from petit. While both can translate to 'small' or 'short' in English, court specifically refers to a linear dimension (length, duration, or a specific height), whereas petit refers to overall size, stature, or smallness in general. For instance, a petite table is a small table, but a table courte is a table that is short in length.

Due to its versatility across different dimensions (length, time, and occasionally height), court/courte is a fundamental adjective for any French learner. Mastering its usage will allow you to describe a wide range of everyday situations effectively.

💡 * Elle a les cheveux très courts. (She has very short hair.)

• Nous avons pris une courte pause. (We took a short break.)
• Le chemin le plus court pour y arriver. (The shortest way to get there.)
• J'ai lu une histoire courte mais captivante. (I read a short but captivating story.)
• Il est un peu court pour atteindre le plafond. (He's a bit short to reach the ceiling.)
• Je suis à court d'idées. (I'm running out of ideas.)

The 'small' or 'short' (especially for height or size) – petit/petite

The 'small' or 'short' (especially for height or size) – petit/petite

Petit and petite are among the most fundamental adjectives in French, directly translating to 'small' or 'short' in English. They are primarily used to describe the physical size or height of nouns.

Like all French adjectives, petit (masculine singular) and petite (feminine singular) must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For plural forms, they become petits (masculine plural) and petites (feminine plural).

Their most common use is to describe physical dimensions, whether it's an object, an animal, or a person. For example, a 'small house' would be une petite maison, and a 'short man' would be un petit homme.

Beyond physical attributes, petit/petite can also describe abstract concepts or quantities, implying 'minor' or 'insignificant'. For instance, un petit problème means 'a small problem' or 'a minor issue', and un petit somme refers to 'a short nap'.

You'll frequently encounter petit/petite in common phrases and expressions, such as un petit déjeuner ('breakfast', literally 'a small lunch') or ma petite chérie ('my little darling', an affectionate term used for a child or partner).

While seemingly simple, petit/petite is a versatile adjective that accurately conveys 'smallness' or 'shortness' in a wide range of contexts, from literal dimensions to more figurative or affectionate uses.

💡 * J'ai acheté une petite voiture. (I bought a small car.)

• Elle est petite pour son âge. (She is short for her age.)
• Nous avons un petit jardin derrière la maison. (We have a small garden behind the house.)
• C'est un petit détail, ne t'inquiète pas. (It's a small detail, don't worry.)
• Il a un petit frère. (He has a little brother.)

The 'brief' or 'short' (for duration or summary) – bref/brève

Bref and its feminine form brève are French adjectives used to describe something as 'brief' or 'short'. This can apply to duration, summaries, or explanations.

Like many French adjectives, bref changes its form to agree with the noun it modifies: bref (masculine singular), brève (feminine singular), brefs (masculine plural), and brèves (feminine plural).

One primary use of bref/brève is to indicate a short period of time or a brief moment. For instance, a bref instant means a 'brief moment' or une brève visite means 'a short visit'.

It also frequently describes something concise or to the point, like a brève explication (a brief explanation) or a bref résumé (a short summary). It implies that something is not lengthy or detailed.

A very common expression you'll encounter is En bref (pronounced ahn bref), which means 'In short', 'Briefly', or 'In a nutshell'. It's used to summarize or conclude a point concisely.

It's important to distinguish bref/brève from petit/petite. While both can translate to 'short' in English, petit generally refers to physical size or height (e.g., 'a small person'), whereas bref refers to duration, length of text, or conciseness.

💡 * Elle a fait une brève apparition. (She made a brief appearance.)

• Pour être bref, je n'aime pas ça. (To be brief, I don't like it.)
• En bref, l'idée est simple. (In short, the idea is simple.)
• J'ai eu un bref aperçu de la situation. (I had a brief glimpse of the situation.)
• La réunion fut brève mais productive. (The meeting was short but productive.)

The 'short in stature' or 'of small height' – de petite taille

The French phrase de petite taille literally translates to "of small size" and is commonly used to describe someone or something that is "short in stature" or "of small height."

This phrase is a polite and neutral way to describe someone's height, avoiding potentially less sensitive terms like court (short, often implying lack of length) or petit (small, which can sometimes be used dismissively). It's applicable to people, animals, and even objects.

The adjective petite (small) agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, but in the fixed phrase de petite taille, petite remains feminine singular because it describes taille (size/height), which is a feminine noun. The preposition de is integral to the construction.

Using de petite taille is generally considered more formal and respectful than simply saying il est petit (he is small) when referring to a person's height. It emphasizes the 'stature' aspect, making it a preferred descriptive term in many contexts.

💡 * Elle est une femme de petite taille, mais pleine d'énergie. (She is a woman of small stature, but full of energy.)

• Mon grand-père était de petite taille, mais avait un grand cœur. (My grandfather was short in stature, but had a big heart.)
• Ce chien de petite taille est très joueur. (This small dog is very playful.)
• Pour les personnes de petite taille, atteindre les étagères du haut peut être un défi. (For people of small height, reaching high shelves can be a challenge.)
• Il faut un véhicule de petite taille pour se garer ici. (You need a small-sized vehicle to park here.)

The 'shortened' or 'abbreviated' (for a path or text) – raccourci

The French word raccourci is a versatile term, primarily used to describe something that has been shortened or abbreviated.

It functions both as a masculine noun (un raccourci, meaning 'a shortcut') and as an adjective (meaning 'shortened' or 'abbreviated').

Most commonly, un raccourci refers to a shorter route or path, like 'taking a shortcut' to save time or distance.

It also applies to information or text that has been condensed, such as a summary, an abbreviated version, or a concise overview.

The verb associated with raccourci is raccourcir, meaning 'to shorten' or 'to make something shorter'.

💡 * Prendre un raccourci (To take a shortcut)

• Ce chemin est un bon raccourci pour arriver plus vite. (This path is a good shortcut to arrive faster.)
• Peux-tu me donner une version raccourcie de l'histoire ? (Can you give me a shortened version of the story?)
• L'article est trop long, je n'ai lu que le raccourci. (The article is too long, I only read the summary/abbreviation.)
• Il a raccourci son discours pour gagner du temps. (He shortened his speech to save time.)

The 'truncated' or 'cut short' (for text or a sequence) – tronqué/tronquée

Tronqué (masculine singular) and tronquée (feminine singular) are adjectives in French that mean "truncated," "cut short," or "incomplete." They come from the verb tronquer, which means "to truncate" or "to shorten by cutting off a part."

This term is commonly used when a piece of text, a document, a list, or a set of data has been shortened or had a part removed, often to fit a specific format, space constraint, or for conciseness. For example, a quotation might be tronquée if only a portion of it is used.

Beyond text, tronqué can also describe a sequence, a narrative, or even a life path that has been abruptly cut short or left incomplete. It implies that something that should have continued or been whole is missing a crucial part or an expected ending.

As an adjective, tronqué must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So, you will see tronqué (masculine singular), tronquée (feminine singular), tronqués (masculine plural), and tronquées (feminine plural).

In essence, tronqué/tronquée signifies something that is not whole, having been deliberately or accidentally reduced from its original or intended length or completeness, leaving it in an abbreviated or unfinished state.

💡 *Le rapport était trop long, donc certaines sections ont été tronquées. (The report was too long, so some sections were truncated.)
*Elle a lu une version tronquée de l'histoire. (She read a truncated version of the story.)
*Les données affichées sont tronquées à cause de la limite de caractères. (The displayed data is truncated due to the character limit.)
*Son discours semblait tronqué, il manquait la conclusion. (His speech seemed cut short, the conclusion was missing.)

The 'succinct' or 'concise' (for speech or writing) – succinct/succincte

The French adjective succinct (masculine) or succincte (feminine) directly translates to 'succinct' or 'concise' in English. It describes something expressed briefly and clearly.

This term is primarily used to describe speech, writing, or information. It implies that the communication is to the point, without unnecessary details, emphasizing precision and brevity.

As an adjective, succinct/succincte must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, you would use succinct for a masculine noun (e.g., un discours succinct) and succincte for a feminine noun (e.g., une explication succincte).

💡 *Sa réponse était très succincte. (His/Her answer was very succinct.)
*Nous avons besoin d'un résumé succinct de la réunion. (We need a concise summary of the meeting.)
*L'article propose une analyse succincte du problème. (The article offers a concise analysis of the problem.)
*Soyez plus succinct dans vos explications. (Be more concise in your explanations.)

The 'short-lived' or 'ephemeral' – éphémère

The French adjective éphémère directly translates to 'short-lived' or 'ephemeral' in English. It describes something that exists, occurs, or is popular for a very brief period.

As an adjective, éphémère is invariable in form for masculine and feminine, singular and plural. It always remains éphémère regardless of the noun it modifies, making it relatively straightforward to use.

This word often carries a poetic or slightly melancholic connotation, implying beauty or joy that is fleeting. It's frequently used to describe natural phenomena (like a butterfly's life or a morning dew), trends, happiness, or human existence itself.

💡 * La beauté de cette fleur est éphémère. (The beauty of this flower is short-lived.)

• Les tendances de la mode sont souvent éphémères. (Fashion trends are often ephemeral.)
• Il a connu un bonheur éphémère. (He experienced a short-lived happiness.)
• Notre existence sur Terre est éphémère. (Our existence on Earth is ephemeral.)

The 'in a few words' or 'shortly' (for a concise explanation) – en quelques mots

When you want to express the idea of explaining something concisely or briefly in French, the phrase you'll most commonly use is en quelques mots. Literally, this translates to 'in a few words'.

This versatile expression functions much like 'in a nutshell' or 'shortly' in English, specifically when referring to a verbal or written explanation. It's used to request or provide a summary, a brief overview, or a condensed version of information.

You'll often hear en quelques mots when someone asks for a quick rundown of a complex topic, or when someone is about to give a summary without going into extensive detail. It implies brevity and clarity.

While en quelques mots is very common, other phrases can convey similar ideas. For instance, brièvement (briefly) or succinctement (succinctly) are adverbs that can be used. However, en quelques mots specifically emphasizes the 'few words' aspect, making it a natural choice for concise explanations.

This phrase is quite neutral in terms of formality. You can use en quelques mots in both casual conversations and more formal settings, making it a very useful and widely accepted expression in French.

💡 * Peux-tu m'expliquer la situation en quelques mots ? (Can you explain the situation to me in a few words?)

• En quelques mots, voici ce qu'il s'est passé. (In a few words, here's what happened.)
• Il a résumé son parcours professionnel en quelques mots. (He summarized his professional background in a few words.)
• Pourriez-vous nous présenter votre projet en quelques mots ? (Could you present your project to us in a few words?)
• Pour le dire en quelques mots, c'est une réussite totale. (To put it in a few words, it's a total success.)

Are there other ways to say 'short' in French?

Are there other ways to say “short” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “short” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire court en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for court on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about something being short.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different nuances of 'shortness,' or words related to brevity in French, the WordReference entry for court is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is a perfect thought to finish it with: La vie est courte, le temps est précieux. (Life is short, time is precious.)