bricole

trinket, trifle

noun bree-KOL Rare

Also means

odd job, small task

Usage Note

Bricole in the singular usually means a small, worthless thing or a minor task. The plural des bricoles can mean 'little nothings' or 'odds and ends'. The related word bricolage ('DIY, tinkering') is derived from the same root and is very widely used in French culture, where home DIY is called faire du bricolage.

Examples

"Il m'a offert une bricole sans valeur."

Natural Translation

He gave me a worthless trinket.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Adjective Placement: Before or After the Noun?

French adjectives usually follow the noun, but a small common set goes before it — and a few change meaning depending on which side they sit. Here's the rule.

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

FrenchNow

French Silent Letters: The CaReFuL Rule

Final consonants in French are silent by default — except C, R, F, L. The CaReFuL rule, the silent -e, the plural-s trap, and liaison, explained simply.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read