French Lesson: Expressing Sufficiency with assez and trop
Learn to say something is enough or not enough in French using 'assez' and 'trop', with clear examples and a dialogue.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In French, to talk about whether something is sufficient or excessive, you use the adverbs 'assez' (enough) and 'trop' (too). This lesson focuses on expressing sufficiency and insufficiency, which is different from stating necessity. For example, 'We don't have enough time' becomes 'Nous n'avons pas assez de temps.' You'll learn to construct sentences with 'assez de' and 'trop de', and how to negate them to say 'not enough' or 'not too much'. We'll also cover common pitfalls and give you practice opportunities.
By the end, you can…
- say that something is enough or not enough using 'assez'.
- say that something is too much or too many using 'trop'.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
J'ai assez d'argent.
I have enough money.
zhay ah-SAY dar-ZHAHN
Use 'assez de' before a noun to indicate a sufficient quantity. 'd'argent' is the contracted form of 'de argent'.
Nous n'avons pas assez de temps.
We don't have enough time.
noo nah-VOHN pah ah-SAY duh TAHN
Negation of 'assez de' to express insufficiency. 'ne...pas' surrounds the verb.
Il y a trop de monde ici.
There are too many people here.
eel ee ah troh duh MOHND ee-SEE
'trop de' means 'too much' or 'too many' depending on the noun. 'monde' here means 'people' collectively.
Elle est assez intelligente.
She is intelligent enough.
el ay ah-SAY an-tay-lee-ZHAHNT
'assez' can also modify adjectives, meaning 'quite' or 'enough'. Here it means 'intelligent enough'.
Je n'ai pas trop mangé.
I didn't eat too much.
zhuh nay pah troh mahn-ZHAY
Negation of 'trop' with a verb in the past tense. 'trop' modifies the verb 'mangé'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: verb + assez/trop + de + noun. For example, 'J'ai assez de temps' (I have enough time) or 'Il a trop de travail' (He has too much work). When modifying an adjective or adverb, use 'assez' or 'trop' directly before it: 'Elle est assez grande' (She is tall enough), 'Il parle trop vite' (He speaks too fast). To negate, place 'ne...pas' around the verb: 'Je n'ai pas assez d'idées' (I don't have enough ideas). Note that 'de' normally stays 'de' before a noun, even when the noun is specific: 'assez de gâteau' (enough cake), 'trop de bruit' (too much noise). The partitive article 'du' appears only in other constructions, such as 'Je veux du gâteau' (I want some cake), not after 'assez' or 'trop'.
When to use it
Use 'assez' to indicate sufficiency, and 'trop' to indicate excess. This is different from necessity, which uses 'il faut' or 'avoir besoin de'. For example, 'Il faut du temps' means 'Time is needed', while 'Nous avons assez de temps' means 'We have enough time'. Use 'assez' when you want to say something meets a requirement, and 'trop' when it exceeds it. In negative sentences, 'pas assez' means 'not enough', and 'pas trop' means 'not too much'. Be careful: 'assez' can also mean 'quite' in some contexts, as in 'Il est assez sympa' (He is quite nice), but context clarifies.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu as assez d'argent pour le billet ?
Do you have enough money for the ticket?tew ah ah-SAY dar-ZHAHN poor luh bee-YAYNon, je n'ai pas assez. Il me manque cinq euros.
No, I don't have enough. I'm missing five euros.nohn, zhuh nay pah ah-SAY. eel muh MAHNK sank uh-ROHNe t'inquiète pas, j'ai trop d'argent, je peux t'aider.
Don't worry, I have too much money, I can help you.nuh tan-KYET pah, zhay troh dar-ZHAHN, zhuh puh tay-DAYMerci ! Mais ne dépense pas trop pour moi.
Thanks! But don't spend too much for me.mair-SEE! may nuh day-PAHNS pah troh poor MWAHA little context goes a long way
In French, 'assez' and 'trop' are common in everyday speech across the Francophone world. In Quebec, 'assez' is sometimes pronounced with a different vowel quality than in France, though the word itself is the same. In formal writing, 'suffisamment' can replace 'assez' to mean 'sufficiently', but 'assez' is more common in conversation. Be mindful that 'trop' can be used for emphasis, like 'C'est trop bien !' meaning 'That's really great!', which is informal.
One thing to watch for
Omitting 'de' after 'assez' or 'trop' when followed by a noun, saying 'J'ai assez argent' instead of 'J'ai assez d'argent'.
Try this instead: Always include 'de' (or its contracted form) before a noun: 'J'ai assez d'argent' (I have enough money), 'Il y a trop de bruit' (There is too much noise).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'She doesn't have enough patience' in French?
Show a sample answer
Elle n'a pas assez de patience.
This uses 'ne...pas' around the verb 'a', followed by 'assez de' and the noun 'patience'. Alternatively, 'Elle n'a pas suffisamment de patience' is more formal but correct.
2Translate: 'There are too many cars in the city.'
Show a sample answer
Il y a trop de voitures en ville.
'trop de' is used before the plural noun 'voitures'. 'en ville' means 'in the city'. You could also say 'dans la ville', but 'en ville' is more idiomatic.
3What does 'Je n'ai pas trop dormi' mean?
Show a sample answer
I didn't sleep too much.
The negation 'ne...pas' surrounds the verb 'ai', and 'trop' modifies the past participle 'dormi'. It means the speaker did not oversleep.
Use 'assez de' for 'enough' and 'trop de' for 'too much/many' before nouns; use 'assez' and 'trop' before adjectives or verbs. Negate with 'ne...pas' to express 'not enough' or 'not too much'.
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