match

match, game

noun MATCH Less Common

Origin: English loanword; borrowed in the 19th century for sporting contests.

Usage Note

Match is used in French almost exclusively for sporting contests — football, tennis, rugby. The plural is matches or matchs (both accepted). Unlike English, French speakers say un match nul for a draw or tie, not a 'draw'.

Examples

"Le match commence à vingt heures."

Natural Translation

The match starts at eight o'clock.

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