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Bout or fin? 12 French expressions for pieces, tips and endings

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn un bout de pain, le bout du fil and la fin du film with examples and picture cards. Compare au bout de and à la fin de, then check your choices.

In short

Bout is masculine and often names a small piece or an extremity; fin is feminine and names an ending or conclusion. Compare un bout de pain, le bout du fil and la fin du film. For time, au bout de dix minutes means after ten minutes, while à la fin du cours means at the end of the lesson.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

un bouta piece; an end or tip

Focus: a small portion or the extremity of something

un bout de + material · le bout de + object

Elle tient le bout du fil entre ses doigts.
She holds the end of the thread between her fingers.

une finan ending, a conclusion

Focus: the final part of a story, activity or period

la fin de + story or event

La fin du film est surprenante.
The film’s ending is surprising.

Small pieces

un bout de painm.a piece of breadTu veux un bout de pain avec ta soupe ?
un bout de papierm.a scrap of paperJ’ai noté ton numéro sur un bout de papier.
un bout de ficellem.a piece of stringIl attache le paquet avec un bout de ficelle.
un bout de boism.a piece of woodElle ramasse un bout de bois dans le jardin.

Tips and routes

le bout du doigtm.the fingertipJe touche la peinture du bout du doigt.
le bout du film.the end of the threadTiens le bout du fil, s’il te plaît.
au bout de la rueat the end of the streetLa boulangerie est au bout de la rue.
d’un bout à l’autrefrom one end to the otherElle a lu le livre d’un bout à l’autre.

Endings and elapsed time

la fin du filmf.the film’s endingJ’ai beaucoup aimé la fin du film.
la fin du coursf.the end of the lessonOn en parle à la fin du cours.
la fin de l’annéef.the end of the yearNous nous retrouvons à la fin de l’année.
au bout de dix minutesafter ten minutesAu bout de dix minutes, elle trouve la solution.

Four small pieces you can name

Un morceau de pain is also a natural way to say a piece of bread. Un bout de conversation is a short part of a conversation: Elle n’a entendu qu’un bout de la conversation. The piece can come from anywhere in the whole.

After a duration or at the end of an event?

Two time phrases in one lesson
FrenchEnglishWhat it tells you
Au bout de dix minutes, Léa comprend l’exercice.After ten minutes, Léa understands the exercise.Ten minutes have elapsed before she understands.
À la fin du cours, Léa pose une question.At the end of the lesson, Léa asks a question.She asks in the lesson’s final part.

Bout works with elapsed time as well as objects. Fin also works with routes: à la fin de la route and au bout de la route can both locate a road’s end. The full expression tells you which kind of endpoint you mean.

The noun meaning ending and the adjective meaning thin
FrenchEnglishRole
une fin surprenantea surprising endingfeminine noun
un fil fina thin threadmasculine adjective
une corde finea thin ropefeminine adjective
Question 1No account needed
Which phrase means a small scrap of paper?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

un bout de papier. Un bout de papier is a small piece. In un papier fin, fin is the adjective meaning thin.

Question 2No account needed
Complete the request about the end of a thread.Tiens le ___ du fil, s’il te plaît.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

bout. The end of the thread is le bout du fil. Bout is masculine, matching le.

Question 3No account needed
Say she finds the answer after ten minutes.___, elle trouve la solution.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Au bout de dix minutes. Au bout de dix minutes says ten minutes have elapsed. À la fin du cours gives the lesson’s endpoint.

Question 4No account needed
What does un bout de la conversation mean in Elle n’a entendu qu’un bout de la conversation?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Part of the conversation.. Here, un bout means a short part. The phrase describes how much of the conversation she heard.

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