le

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lə/

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• (especially US) IPA^(key): /leɪ/
• (rare) IPA^(key): /liː/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (emulating Parisian French) IPA^(key): /lø/
• Rhymes: -ə, -eɪ, -iː
• Homophones: luh (with /ə/), lay, lei, ley (with /eɪ/), lea, Lea, Lee, leigh, Leigh, li (with /iː/)

Article

le

1. (informal, humorous) the
   • 1949, Michael Maltese, For Scent-imental Reasons, spoken by Penelope Pussycat:

     Le mew. Le purr.

   • 1996 September 28, Game Freak, Pokémon Blue, Nintendo, level/area: S.S. Anne:

     Waiter: 'Bonjour! I am le waiter on this ship! [...] Ah! Le strong silent type!'

   • 2001 June 24, LaManna, “My Weekend...”, in alt.punk‎ (Usenet):

     […] upon arrival, le girlfriend realizes she has left her ID back at my house (a 1 1/2 hour roundtrip on the Metro), […]

   • 2002 December 27, Amelia, “Re: Neat things SANTA brought me...”, in alt.fashion‎ (Usenet):

     And then le boyfriend perks up and names around 8 different brands (Stila, MAC, Becca, Nars etc..) - I was *SO* proud of him!! :)

   • 2003 January 10, johnny dupe (quoting nowhere man), “Re: I can walk with jezus...”, in alt.fan.wings‎ (Usenet):

     That was always OUR song (me and le girlfriend of the time).

   • 2012 October 1, Miranda Kenneally, Stealing Parker, Sourcebooks, Inc., →ISBN, page 63:

     That's when Waitress Seductress Extraordinaire comes back and gets our order. […] "We're sharing an order of à la Appalachia, he says, handing over the menus and turning his focus back to me. Le waitress stomps off. I ask, "Why are they called that?" "Because when they've got the fries stacked up they're higher than a mountain range." I groan and touch my stomach. "You're funny," he says, his eyes twinkling.

See also

• moi
• ze

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lə/, /li/, (sometimes) /leɪ/

Preposition

le

1. (obsolete) Next to, near (still used in some place names).

   Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham near an old Roman road.

   Witton-le-Wear, Dalton-le-Dale, Hetton-le-Hole

Conjugation

Derived terms