spot

spotlight

noun SPOT Rare

Origin: English 'spot'

Also means

advertisement spot, TV commercial

Usage Note

Spot is a direct English borrowing used in two main contexts: a spot (or spot publicitaire) is a TV or radio ad, and a spot can also be a small directional light fitting. The plural is regular: des spots. It is masculine and informal in feel; more formal registers prefer publicité for 'advertisement'.

Examples

"Ce spot publicitaire passe toutes les heures à la radio."

Natural Translation

That ad spot plays every hour on the radio.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Je t'aime vs Je t'adore: I Love You in French

Je t'aime is the real romantic I love you; je t'adore means warm fondness, not romance. Here's the person-vs-thing rule and the bien trap that flips it.

June 4, 2026 6 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

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

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read