trop

Trop is a French adverb meaning too much or excessively. It is used to express that something exceeds what is desired, appropriate, or manageable, and it can modify adjectives, adverbs, or past participles.

Etymology and usage context: Trop appears in Old French and has remained a stable term in modern French. It typically precedes the word it qualifies, as in trop cher (too expensive), trop vite (too fast), or trop fort (too strong). It can also modify phrases such as trop tard (too late) or trop longtemps (for too long). In negated contexts, negation can soften the degree, as in ne pas trop (not too much).

Common contrasts: Trop is often contrasted with adequate or sufficient expressions such as assez (enough, sufficiently). While trop signals excess, assez signals sufficiency, and tellement or si can intensify in different ways depending on nuance. In casual speech, trop is frequently used for emphasis, sometimes in a colloquial or even hyperbolic sense.

Examples:

- C’est trop cher pour moi. It’s too expensive for me.

- Il travaille trop vite pour être précis. He works too fast to be precise.

- Je ne suis pas trop fatigué, mais je préfère rester. I’m not too tired, but I’d rather stay.

- Elle parle trop fort dans le métro. She talks too loudly on the subway.

Pronunciation: trop is pronounced [tʁo], with the final 'p' usually silent in standard French.

Notes: Trop is versatile across registers, from everyday speech to literature. Its precise shade of meaning depends on context, intonation, and the accompanying adjectives or verbs.