assez

Assez is a French adverb meaning to a sufficient extent, fairly or quite, and it is used to indicate degree or sufficiency. It can modify adjectives, adverbs, or verbs, as in il est assez grand (he is quite tall) or elle parle assez vite (she speaks fairly quickly). It can also be used to qualify an entire clause, though this is less common in everyday speech.

In terms of grammar, assez is invariable and typically placed before the word it modifies: assez bien, assez fort, assez tôt. When negation is needed, the phrase pas assez is used to express insufficiency, as in il n’est pas assez rapide (he is not fast enough). With nouns, the construction assez de expresses a sufficient amount: assez de temps, assez de nourriture. In negative contexts this becomes pas assez de, meaning not enough of.

Etymology traces the word to Old French and it is related, at least in meaning, to the Latin satis meaning enough. The form assez has appeared in French since medieval times and has cognates or parallel expressions in several Romance languages, reflecting a shared concept of sufficiency.

Usage notes: assez often conveys a moderate or non-extreme degree and can soften or moderate statements depending on context. In formal writing, it is a standard, neutral term, while in colloquial speech it is widely used to express both adequacy and emphasis, sometimes in slightly hedged or noncommittal ways. Related constructions include the phrases assez de and pas assez de for quantity, and the broader idea of suffisant as a synonym in more formal registers.