Petit or court? Small objects, short sleeves and height
Choose petit for size or stature and court for length or duration. Compare bags, sleeves and cables through pictures, a shop scene and four questions.
In short
Petit means small and also short when describing someone’s height. Court means short in length or duration: un câble court, une courte pause. Choose the dimension first, then make the adjective agree with its noun.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
petit / petitesmall; short in stature
Focus: overall size or a person’s height
Ce sac est trop petit pour mon ordinateur.
This bag is too small for my computer.
Ma sœur est plus petite que moi.
My sister is shorter than me.
court / courteshort in length or time
Focus: how far something reaches or how long it lasts
Ce câble est trop court.
This cable is too short.
Nous faisons une courte pause.
We are taking a short break.
Name the object, then notice the dimension
Find:
What is the difference between petit and court?
- Vendeuse
Le manteau vous va ?
Does the coat fit you?
- Client
Il me va aux épaules, mais les manches sont trop courtes.
It fits at the shoulders, but the sleeves are too short.
- Vendeuse
Je vais chercher une autre taille.
I’ll get another size.
- Client
Merci. Celui-ci est aussi un peu trop petit.
Thank you. This one is also a little too small.
| Noun | Small | Short |
|---|---|---|
| un sac / un câble | petit | court |
| une table / une manche | petite | courte |
| des sacs / des câbles | petits | courts |
| des tables / des manches | petites | courtes |
Petit usually goes before the noun: un petit sac. For a physical length, court often follows: des cheveux courts, une jupe courte. In a time expression, une courte pause is natural. Keep the useful phrase together.
A little message and a short break
| French | What the wording highlights |
|---|---|
| Je t’envoie un petit message. | A quick or friendly little message. |
| Je t’envoie un message court. | A message with few words. |
| On fait une petite pause ? | A casual suggestion to take a little break. |
| Nous faisons une courte pause. | The limited duration of the break. |
For someone’s height, say il est petit or elle est petite. For hair, use court: elle a les cheveux courts. A person’s height and the length of their hair use different adjectives.