Lent (or its feminine form, lente) is the most common way to say 'slow' in French. But just like in English, there are many nuances and situations where other words might fit better.

As you improve your French, you'll want to express yourself with more precision and variety. Knowing different ways to describe something as slow can significantly enhance your vocabulary and make your conversations more natural.

Let's explore 9 different ways to say 'slow' in French and when to use them!

The standard 'slow' (adjective) – lent/lente

Lent(e) is the most common and direct French adjective for "slow." It describes something or someone that moves or acts at a low speed.

Like many French adjectives, lent(e) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You'll encounter it as:lent - masculine singular (e.g., un train lent - a slow train)lente - feminine singular (e.g., une tortue lente - a slow turtle)lents - masculine plural (e.g., des progrès lents - slow progress)lentes - feminine plural (e.g., des voitures lentes - slow cars)

You can use lent(e) to describe people, animals, objects, or even abstract concepts like progress or a process. It generally implies a lack of speed or quickness.

While lent(e) is an adjective, its corresponding adverb is lentement (slowly). Remember to use lent(e) when describing a noun, and lentement when describing a verb or another adjective. For example: Il est lent (He is slow) vs. Il marche lentement (He walks slowly).

A common expression is Être lent à la détente (literally "to be slow to the trigger"), meaning someone is slow to react or understand.

Lent(e) is quite direct and rarely carries strong negative connotations beyond simply indicating a lack of speed. It's the most straightforward choice when translating "slow."

💡 * C'est une voiture très lente. (It's a very slow car.)

Il est lent à comprendre. (He is slow to understand.)

La croissance économique est lente. (Economic growth is slow.)

Elle a un pas lent. (She has a slow pace.)

Les escargots sont des animaux lents. (Snails are slow animals.)

The adverb 'slowly' – lentement

The adverb 'slowly' – lentement

The most common and direct translation for 'slowly' in French is the adverb lentement.

Following a common pattern for French adverbs, lentement is derived from the feminine singular form of the adjective lent (slow), which is lente, by adding the suffix -ment.

You'll use lentement to describe a verb, indicating that an action is performed at a low speed. It generally follows the verb it modifies in a sentence.

Beyond just lack of speed, lentement can also imply a deliberate, careful, or unhurried manner, rather than just being inherently slow.

Its direct opposite is rapidement (quickly) or vite (fast, quickly).

💡 * Il marche lentement dans le parc. (He walks slowly in the park.)

Elle parle lentement pour que je comprenne bien. (She speaks slowly so I understand well.)

Conduisez lentement, s'il vous plaît, il y a des enfants. (Drive slowly, please, there are children.)

Le projet avance lentement mais sûrement. (The project is progressing slowly but surely.)

L'escargot se déplace très lentement. (The snail moves very slowly.)

The 'gently' or 'softly' (implying slow) – doucement

The French adverb doucement is a versatile word that primarily translates to 'gently' or 'softly.' It's an essential term for describing actions performed with care, tenderness, or a lack of force.

At its heart, doucement conveys an action that is mild, smooth, or not harsh. Think of 'gently' as in handling something fragile, or 'softly' as in speaking quietly. It emphasizes a delicate approach rather than speed.

While not directly meaning 'slowly' (for which we use lentement), doucement often implies a slow pace when associated with movement or progression. If you're told to 'go gently' or 'take it softly,' it naturally suggests a lack of haste and a controlled, unhurried action.

Doucement is frequently used with verbs of movement, speaking, or handling. For instance, parler doucement means 'to speak softly,' marcher doucement means 'to walk gently/carefully,' and ouvrir doucement means 'to open gently.'

You'll often hear doucement in commands or advice, such as Allez-y doucement (Go easy/Take it slow) or Fais doucement (Be gentle/Take your time). It's a way to encourage caution and a measured approach.

💡 * Parle doucement, le bébé dort. (Speak softly, the baby is sleeping.)* Elle a ouvert la porte doucement pour ne pas faire de bruit. (She opened the door gently so as not to make noise.)* Va doucement sur cette route glissante. (Go slowly/gently on this slippery road.)* Prends-le doucement, c'est fragile. (Take it gently, it's fragile.)* Il a caressé le chat doucement. (He stroked the cat gently.)

The 'calmly' or 'unhurriedly' – calmement

The French adverb calmement translates to 'calmly' or 'unhurriedly' in English. It describes an action performed without haste, stress, or agitation.

As an adverb, calmement is typically formed from the feminine singular form of the adjective (calme in this case, which is invariant) by adding the suffix -ment. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating how an action is performed.

Calmement is frequently used to advise someone to take things easy, to describe a serene action, or to emphasize a lack of panic. It conveys a sense of peace and control in a situation.

💡 * Il a répondu calmement à toutes les questions. (He answered all the questions calmly.)

Respirez calmement pour vous détendre. (Breathe calmly to relax.)

Elle marche toujours calmement, sans se presser. (She always walks unhurriedly, without rushing.)

Attendez calmement votre tour. (Wait calmly for your turn.)

The 'peacefully' or 'leisurely' – tranquillement

Tranquillement is an adverb in French, derived from the adjective tranquille (calm, peaceful). It translates most directly to "peacefully," "calmly," or "leisurely."

As an adverb, tranquillement modifies verbs, describing how an action is performed. It suggests an absence of haste, stress, or disturbance, often implying a relaxed pace.

It frequently conveys the idea of taking one's time, doing something without rushing, or in a relaxed manner. You might use it to describe someone reading tranquillement in a park, or enjoying a coffee tranquillement on a terrace.

Tranquillement can also refer to a state of mind, suggesting inner calm or a lack of worry. For instance, Vivre tranquillement means to live a peaceful, unhurried life, free from major concerns.

This adverb is versatile and appropriate for both formal and informal contexts, making it an essential word for describing calm actions, states, and relaxed situations in French.

💡 *Il lit son livre tranquillement dans le jardin. (He's reading his book peacefully in the garden.)
*On a passé la soirée tranquillement à la maison. (We spent the evening calmly/leisurely at home.)
*Vas-y tranquillement, ne te presse pas. (Go easily/take your time, don't rush.)
*Elle travaille tranquillement sur son projet. (She's working calmly on her project.)
*Tout se passe tranquillement. (Everything is going smoothly/peacefully.)

The 'with slow steps' – à pas lents

The French phrase à pas lents literally translates to “with slow steps.” It's an adverbial phrase used to describe the manner in which someone walks or moves, emphasizing a deliberate and unhurried pace.

While directly indicating slowness, à pas lents often carries a deeper nuance than simply lentement (slowly). It can suggest caution, hesitation, contemplation, or even a sense of gravity or reluctance behind the movement, focusing on the steps themselves.

This phrase is typically employed in situations where the slow movement is significant or observable. For instance, it might describe someone approaching a difficult situation, an elderly person moving, or a child exploring a new environment with careful, measured steps.

Beyond physical movement, à pas lents can also be used in a more figurative or poetic sense. It can describe progress, development, or even time itself moving in a slow, careful, and often thoughtful manner, highlighting a deliberate pace rather than just a lack of speed.

💡 *Il s'approcha de la porte à pas lents, hésitant à entrer. (He approached the door with slow steps, hesitant to enter.)
*Elle traversa le jardin à pas lents, savourant chaque instant. (She crossed the garden with slow steps, savoring every moment.)
*Le vieil homme montait les escaliers à pas lents. (The old man climbed the stairs with slow steps.)
*Les progrès de la recherche se faisaient à pas lents, mais sûrs. (The research progress was made with slow, but sure, steps.)

The 'with slowness' (noun form) – avec lenteur

The expression avec lenteur directly translates to 'with slowness' and serves as an adverbial phrase in French. It's used to describe actions performed in a slow manner.

Unlike the simple adverb lentement (slowly), avec lenteur utilizes the noun lenteur (slowness) preceded by the preposition avec (with). This construction emphasizes the quality or manner of slowness, often implying a deliberate or noticeable pace.

While lentement is a general adverb for 'slowly', avec lenteur can convey a more descriptive or emphatic sense of slowness, suggesting a certain grace, effort, reluctance, or even a poetic quality in the action. It highlights the characteristic of slowness.

💡 * Il a marché avec lenteur jusqu'à la porte. (He walked with slowness/slowly to the door.)

Elle a répondu à la question avec une lenteur calculée. (She answered the question with calculated slowness.)

Les flocons de neige tombaient avec lenteur. (The snowflakes fell with slowness/slowly.)

Avec lenteur, l'escargot traversait le chemin. (With slowness, the snail crossed the path.)

The 'dragging' or 'languid' – traînant(e)

As an adjective, traînant(e) describes something that is dragging, languid, slow, or lingering. It evokes a sense of unhurried movement or a prolonged state.

This adjective is often used to describe movements (a démarche traînante - a dragging gait), sounds (a voix traînante - a drawling voice), or even a feeling or process that is slow to pass (une fatigue traînante - a lingering fatigue). It can imply weariness, a lack of energy, or simply a deliberate slowness.

Remember that traînant(e), being an adjective, agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: traînant (masculine singular), traînante (feminine singular), traînants (masculine plural), and traînantes (feminine plural).

💡 * Sa voix était traînante, presque endormie. (His/Her voice was languid, almost sleepy.)

Il avait une démarche traînante après une longue journée de travail. (He had a dragging gait after a long day of work.)

Le temps semblait traînant en attendant les résultats. (Time seemed to drag while waiting for the results.)

Les nuages traînants à l'horizon annonçaient la pluie. (The lingering clouds on the horizon announced the rain.)

Elle ressentait une fatigue traînante depuis plusieurs jours. (She felt a lingering fatigue for several days.)

The 'dawdling' or 'slowpoke' (person) – lambin(e)

The French word for a 'dawdler' or 'slowpoke' is lambin (masculine) or lambine (feminine). It refers to a person who is habitually slow, takes their time, or procrastinates.

Like many French nouns and adjectives referring to people, lambin changes form to agree with the gender of the person it describes. Use lambin for a male person and lambine for a female person. It can function as both a noun (e.g., 'He's a dawdler') and an adjective (e.g., 'a dawdling person').

The term lambin(e) often carries a slightly critical, yet sometimes affectionate or exasperated, connotation. It describes someone who takes their time, often excessively, and can be frustrating in situations requiring speed, but it's generally not a harsh insult. It implies a lack of urgency rather than laziness.

The verb associated with this concept is lambiner, meaning 'to dawdle,' 'to linger,' 'to dally,' or 'to take one's sweet time.' It's an informal verb used to describe the act of being a lambin(e).

💡 * Il est vraiment lambin le matin. (He's really a slowpoke in the morning.)

Arrête de lambiner! Dépêche-toi! (Stop dawdling! Hurry up!)

Ma sœur est une vraie lambine quand elle doit se préparer. (My sister is a real dawdler when she has to get ready.)

Ne sois pas si lambin, nous allons être en retard. (Don't be such a slowpoke, we're going to be late.)

Les enfants lambinaient sur le chemin de l'école. (The children were dawdling on their way to school.)

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'slow' in French. But French is rich with variations, from formal terms, to regional ones, to colloquialisms that might express different shades of slowness.

You can also do an online search for 'comment dire lent en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms for lent or related concepts. 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 'slow' or 'slowness' in various situations.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive breakdown of synonyms and nuanced meanings for 'slow' in French, the WordReference entry for lent is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in understanding how to express 'slow' in French. To finish, here's a timeless quote from Jean de La Fontaine that perfectly captures the essence of taking one's time: Rien ne sert de courir ; il faut partir à point. (There's no point in running; you have to leave on time.)

9 ways to say "slow" in French