Faible is the most common way to say "weak" in French. But just like in English, there are many nuanced ways to express this concept. Whether you're talking about someone's physical state, a flimsy argument, or a character's vulnerability, French offers a rich vocabulary to get your point across. Let's explore 9 different ways to say "weak" and how to use them effectively!

The standard 'weak' – faible

The standard 'weak' – faible

Faible is the most common and versatile adjective for 'weak' in French. It can describe a lack of physical strength, mental resolve, intensity, or even quality.

As an adjective, faible must agree in number with the noun it modifies. However, it's one of those adjectives that doesn't change its spelling for gender:

• faible - singular (masculine or feminine)
• faibles - plural (masculine or feminine)

You'll find faible used in a wide array of situations, from describing a person's physical state to the intensity of a light or the quality of an argument. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

One of the primary uses of faible is to describe physical frailty, lack of strength, or feeling unwell. It can refer to a person, an animal, or even a structure that isn't robust.

Faible can also describe someone who lacks courage, determination, or is easily influenced or emotionally vulnerable. It conveys a sense of fragility in character or spirit.

Beyond people, faible is frequently used to indicate low intensity (e.g., a faint light, a low sound, a weak signal) or a small quantity (e.g., a low salary, a small chance).

In a more abstract sense, faible can qualify an argument, a point, or a position that is not solid, convincing, or well-supported. It implies a lack of strength in reasoning or evidence.

A very common expression is 'point faible', meaning 'weak point' or 'weakness'. This can refer to a physical vulnerability, a character flaw, or a flaw in an argument or system.

💡 * Je me sens très faible après la grippe. (I feel very weak after the flu.)

• Il a une faible voix. (He has a weak voice.)
• C'est un homme faible qui se laisse facilement influencer. (He's a weak man who is easily influenced.)
• Le signal Wi-Fi est très faible ici. (The Wi-Fi signal is very weak here.)
• Son argument était faible et ne m'a pas convaincu. (His argument was weak and didn't convince me.)
• Leur équipe a montré de faibles performances cette saison. (Their team showed weak performances this season.)

The 'frail' or 'delicate' – frêle

The “frail” or “delicate” – frêle

The French adjective frêle translates directly to “frail” or “delicate” in English. It describes something that is easily broken, weak, or not robust.

Most commonly, frêle is used to describe physical characteristics. This could be a person who is physically weak or thin, an object that is easily broken, or even a structure that seems unstable.

Beyond the physical, frêle can also describe something abstract that is delicate or vulnerable. For instance, a frêle hope, a frêle voice, or a frêle peace. It implies a lack of strength or robustness in a broader sense.

As an adjective, frêle must agree in number with the noun it modifies. It ends in '-e', so its singular form is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns (un enfant frêle, une fleur frêle). For plural nouns, an 's' is added (des personnes frêles, des branches frêles).

While similar to words like faible (weak) or fragile (fragile), frêle often carries a connotation of slightness or delicacy, sometimes even a poetic vulnerability. It implies a natural slightness rather than a temporary weakness.

Understanding frêle helps to grasp the subtle ways French describes vulnerability and delicacy, whether it's the physical state of a person or the precariousness of a situation.

💡 * Elle avait une voix frêle mais mélodieuse. (She had a frail but melodious voice.)

• Le pont semblait trop frêle pour supporter le poids. (The bridge seemed too frail to support the weight.)
• Ses mains frêles tenaient la tasse avec précaution. (Her delicate hands held the cup with care.)
• Malgré son apparence frêle, elle était très forte d'esprit. (Despite her delicate appearance, she was very strong-willed.)
• La jeune pousse était encore frêle et avait besoin de protection. (The young shoot was still delicate and needed protection.)

The 'soft' or 'lacking firmness' – mou/molle

The French adjective mou/molle is a versatile term primarily meaning 'soft' or 'lacking firmness'. It's an important word to learn due to its irregular conjugation and common usage in both literal and figurative contexts.

For masculine singular nouns, the form is mou. This is an irregular adjective, meaning its forms don't always follow the standard rules. For example, un matelas mou (a soft mattress).

When describing a feminine singular noun, mou transforms into molle. This is a key change to remember. For instance, une pâte molle (a soft dough) or une éponge molle (a soft sponge).

For masculine plural nouns, the form becomes mous. The 's' is silent, but indicates plurality. An example would be des coussins mous (soft cushions).

Finally, for feminine plural nouns, the form is molles. The 'es' ending signals both feminine gender and plurality. Consider des poires molles (soft/mushy pears).

It's crucial to remember that mou/molle is an irregular adjective. It describes not only physical softness (like a pillow or dough) but can also refer to a lack of energy, courage, or firmness in character. Un caractère mou means a weak character, for example.

Beyond its literal meaning, mou/molle can describe something that is slack, sluggish, or even weak. This makes it a very expressive word, useful for various situations from describing objects to people's attitudes or even an uninspired performance.

💡 * Un oreiller mou. (A soft pillow.)

• Une pâte molle. (A soft dough.)
• Il a les muscles mous. (He has soft/flabby muscles.)
• Ces pommes sont molles. (These apples are soft/mushy.)
• C'est un travail mou. (It's a weak/uninspired piece of work.)

The 'puny' or 'scrawny' – chétif/chétive

The French adjective chétif (masculine) or chétive (feminine) translates to 'puny,' 'scrawny,' 'feeble,' or 'frail' in English.

Like many French adjectives, chétif changes its ending to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The masculine singular is chétif, and the feminine singular is chétive.

This term often describes someone or something lacking strength, size, or vigor, implying a state of weakness or poor development. It can refer to a person's physique, health, or even a plant's growth.

While commonly used for people, chétif/chétive can also describe objects or plants that are small, weak, or underdeveloped, such as a plante chétive (a puny plant) or a repas chétif (a meager meal).

💡 * Il était un enfant chétif et malade. (He was a puny and sick child.)

• Elle a l'air un peu chétive après sa maladie. (She looks a bit scrawny after her illness.)
• Ces jeunes arbres sont encore très chétifs. (These young trees are still very puny.)
• Malgré son apparence chétive, il est très fort. (Despite his frail appearance, he is very strong.)
• Ils ont servi un repas chétif. (They served a meager meal.)

The 'feeble' or 'weakling' – faiblard/faiblarde

The 'feeble' or 'weakling' – faiblard/faiblarde

Faiblard (masculine) and faiblarde (feminine) are informal French adjectives and nouns used to describe someone who is weak, feeble, or a bit of a wimp.

This term carries an informal and often slightly derogatory or dismissive tone. It implies a lack of strength, courage, or resilience, either physically or mentally.

As an adjective, it agrees in gender with the noun it modifies: un homme faiblard (a feeble man), une femme faiblarde (a feeble woman). It can also be used as a noun: C'est un faiblard (He's a weakling).

You might use faiblard/faiblarde to describe someone who gives up easily, complains a lot, or is physically not very strong. It’s often used in a somewhat critical or exasperated manner.

While not extremely offensive, it's not a kind term. Use it carefully, typically among close friends or when expressing genuine frustration about someone's lack of resolve.

💡 * Ne sois pas un faiblard, relève-toi ! (Don't be a weakling, get up!)

• Elle est un peu faiblarde depuis sa maladie. (She's a bit feeble since her illness.)
• C'est un entraînement difficile, seuls les faiblards abandonnent. (It's a tough training, only the weaklings give up.)
• Il a toujours été un peu faiblard quand il s'agit de prendre des décisions. (He's always been a bit weak when it comes to making decisions.)

The 'weakened' or 'enfeebled' – affaibli/affaiblie

The French words affaibli (masculine singular) and affaiblie (feminine singular) are the past participles of the verb affaiblir (to weaken). When used as adjectives, they mean "weakened," "enfeebled," or "debilitated." This term describes something that has lost strength, power, or intensity.

Primarily, affaibli/affaiblie is used to describe a person, animal, or body part that has become physically weak, often due to illness, injury, fatigue, or lack of sustenance. It implies a state resulting from a process of weakening, rather than an inherent lack of strength.

Beyond physical states, these terms are frequently applied to abstract concepts. You can describe an economy as affaiblie, an argument as affaibli, or a political power as affaiblie. In these contexts, it means diminished, undermined, or less effective.

Remember that affaibli/affaiblie must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: affaibli (m.s.), affaiblie (f.s.), affaiblis (m.p.), affaiblies (f.p.). While similar to faible (weak), affaibli emphasizes the process of becoming weak, highlighting a change from a stronger state.

💡 * Il est très affaibli après sa longue maladie. (He is very weakened after his long illness.)

• L'économie du pays est affaiblie par la crise. (The country's economy is weakened by the crisis.)
• Ses arguments ont été affaiblis par les nouvelles preuves. (His arguments were weakened by the new evidence.)
• La vieille structure était affaiblie par l'humidité. (The old structure was weakened by humidity.)

The 'cowardly' or 'spineless' – lâche

The French word lâche is used to describe someone or something as 'cowardly' or 'spineless'. It carries a strong negative connotation, implying a lack of courage, bravery, or resolve.

As an adjective, lâche is invariable in gender, meaning it remains the same whether modifying a masculine or feminine noun (e.g., un homme lâche, une femme lâche). It can also function as a noun, un lâche (a male coward) or une lâche (a female coward).

You'll use lâche to describe someone who avoids difficult situations, backs down from a challenge, or betrays principles due to fear. It can apply to actions, attitudes, or individuals, highlighting a perceived moral or physical weakness.

💡 * Il est trop lâche pour affronter la vérité. (He is too cowardly to face the truth.)

• C'était un acte lâche de sa part de fuir. (It was a cowardly act on his part to run away.)
• Ne sois pas lâche ! Dis-lui ce que tu penses vraiment. (Don't be a coward! Tell him what you really think.)
• Ses amis l'ont traité de lâche après qu'il a abandonné le projet. (His friends called him a coward after he abandoned the project.)
• La décision de ne pas intervenir a été jugée lâche par beaucoup. (The decision not to intervene was deemed cowardly by many.)

The 'sick' or 'unwell' – malade

The French word for 'sick' or 'unwell' is malade.

Interestingly, malade functions as both an adjective (meaning 'sick' or 'ill') and a noun (meaning 'a sick person' or 'a patient'). As an adjective, it doesn't change for gender or number, which makes it relatively easy to use.

You'll frequently hear it used with the verb être ('to be') to describe someone's state, such as Je suis malade (I am sick) or Elle est malade (She is sick).

Malade can refer to anything from feeling a little under the weather to being seriously ill. The context usually clarifies the severity.

💡 *Je suis malade aujourd'hui, je ne peux pas venir au travail. (I am sick today, I can't come to work.)
*As-tu vu le médecin ? Tu as l'air malade. (Have you seen the doctor? You look sick.)
*L'hôpital accueille les malades de toute la région. (The hospital welcomes the sick people from the whole region.)
*Mon chat est malade, il ne mange plus. (My cat is sick, he's not eating anymore.)
*Elle a été malade toute la semaine avec la grippe. (She was sick all week with the flu.)

The 'vulnerable' or 'easily hurt' – vulnérable

The French word for 'vulnerable' or 'easily hurt' is vulnérable. It directly translates to 'vulnerable' in English and is used in very similar contexts, conveying a sense of susceptibility to harm or influence.

As an adjective, vulnérable is notable because its form remains consistent regardless of the gender of the noun it describes. For instance, you would say un homme vulnérable (a vulnerable man) and une femme vulnérable (a vulnerable woman), using the identical spelling.

Vulnérable can describe a wide spectrum of susceptibilities. It can refer to physical weakness (e.g., un système immunitaire vulnérable - a vulnerable immune system), emotional sensitivity (e.g., se sentir vulnérable - to feel vulnerable), or even a social or economic disadvantage (e.g., les populations vulnérables - vulnerable populations).

While vulnérable is a direct and common translation, it often carries a significant weight, indicating a serious state of susceptibility. Common phrases include rendre vulnérable (to make vulnerable) and être vulnérable à (to be vulnerable to something, like être vulnérable aux critiques - to be vulnerable to criticism).

💡 * Elle se sent très vulnérable après sa rupture. (She feels very vulnerable after her breakup.)

• Les enfants sont souvent les plus vulnérables dans les situations de crise. (Children are often the most vulnerable in crisis situations.)
• Ce système informatique est vulnérable aux attaques de pirates. (This computer system is vulnerable to hacker attacks.)
• Il est important de protéger les espèces animales vulnérables. (It's important to protect vulnerable animal species.)

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

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

Our list features the most common ways to say “weak” 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 faible en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for faible 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 weakness.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of weaknesses, or words related to being weak in French, the WordReference entry for faible is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Blaise Pascal: L'homme n'est qu'un roseau, le plus faible de la nature, mais c'est un roseau pensant. (Man is but a reed, the weakest in nature, but he is a thinking reed.)