vertige

dizziness, vertigo

noun vehr-TEEZH Rare

Also means

fear of heights

Usage Note

Vertige can describe both the physical sensation of spinning and the psychological fear of heights. Avoir le vertige means to feel dizzy or to be afraid of heights depending on context. The plural vertiges is commonly used in medical contexts for recurrent episodes of dizziness.

Examples

"Elle a le vertige en haut de la tour."

Natural Translation

She feels dizzy at the top of the tower.

Literal Translation

She has the dizziness at the top of the tower.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read