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Train à grande vitesse - High Speed Train.

Abbreviations

French uses lots of abbreviations in names, titles, and addresses. This quiz helps you recognise them quickly, so you can read texts and write correctly for GCSE.

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Fascinating Fact:

St = Saint, used in place names like “St-Malo” (Saint-Malo).

In GCSE Fast French, abbreviations are useful shortcuts you will spot in signs, emails, forms, and reading tasks. They often shorten titles, names, and parts of addresses. Knowing the common ones helps you understand meaning faster and avoid mistakes when you write French in exams.

Key Terms

Abbreviation: A shortened form of a word or phrase, used to save space or time.
Initialism: An abbreviation made from first letters, said as letters, such as “SNCF”.
Title: A word used before a name to show role or respect, often shortened in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are common French abbreviations you need for GCSE?

Common French abbreviations for GCSE include titles like “M.” (Monsieur) and “Mme” (Madame), plus address words like “av.” (avenue) and “bd” (boulevard). You may also see “n°” for “numéro” on forms and addresses.

Do French abbreviations usually have a full stop?

Many French abbreviations use a full stop, especially shortened words like “av.” for “avenue”. However, some abbreviations and letter groups are written without a full stop, particularly in modern signs or official formats, so it depends on the type.

How do you write Monsieur and Madame as abbreviations in French?

In French, “Monsieur” is usually shortened to “M.” and “Madame” is shortened to “Mme”. These forms are common in letters, emails, and forms, and they are treated as titles placed before a name.

Try These Related Quizzes

In each question you will be given some words in English. All you have to do is choose which abbreviation has the equivalent meaning in French.

1 .

Mountain bike

VDM

VTT

VAM

VDT

Vélo tout terrain = All Terrain Bike

2 .

Homeless person

PSM

SDF

PSD

SFD

Sans domicile fixe = Without a Fixed Address

3 .

Emergency medical services

SAMU

SMEA

MASU

MEAS

Service d’aide médicale d’urgence = Emergency Medical Aid Service

4 .

National Rail Service

RSNF

NRSF

SNCF

FNCS

Société nationale des chemins de fer français = National Society of French Railways

5 .

Physical education

PET

SEP

EPS

PES

Éducation physique et sportive = Physical Education and Sport

6 .

Secondary school

SEC

CES

ESC

HSE

Collège d’enseignement secondaire = College of Secondary Teaching

7 .

Value Added Tax

TVA

VAT

TAV

VTA

Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée = Tax on the Value Added

8 .

Information and resource centre

CDI

IRC

DRC

DRI

Centre de documentation et d’information = Centre for Documentation and Information

9 .

Social housing accommodation

SHA

HAS

MLH

HLM

Habitation à loyer modéré = Low-income Housing

10 .

High-speed train

THV

THS

GVT

TGV

Train à grande vitesse = Train of Great Speed

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - French

Author: Graeme Haw

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