Wednesday, March 11, 2020
12 French Verbs You Might Not Be Using
12 French Verbs You Might Not Be Using Even after nearly a decade of French classes and numerous visits to France, there were some verbs that I didnt use until I moved here and was immersed in the language and culture. Some I had never learned, while others just seemed unusual or unnecessary. In case youre in the same boat, here are a dozen French verbs that I find essential in France, even if my French teachers didnt seem to think so.AssumerTo be fair, assumer is not a verb that I use every day, but I sure hear it a lot, especially in movies and TV shows. It doesnt mean to assume as in to take something for granted (the French translation of that meaning is prà ©sumer), but rather to assume / take on responsbility for something. So its very common in dramatic scenarios, like when one character does something wrong and another character tells him to accept the consequences.   Aprà ¨s son accident, jai dà » assumer le rà ´le de mon collà ¨gue.   After his accident, I had to take on / assume my collea gues role.   Cest toi qui las fait, alors assume !    You did it, so accept the consequences!Conjugating assumer | Using assumerSe dà ©brouillerIts funny that I only learned this verb after Id been studying French for many years, because se dà ©brouiller is perfect for describing less than perfect language skills. Possible translations include to get by, to manage, to cope. Se dà ©brouiller can also refer to getting by in non-language situations, and the non-reflexive dà ©brouiller means to untangle, to sort out.   Il se dà ©brouille bien en franà §ais.   He gets by fairly well in French, He speaks fairly good French.   Tu te dà ©brouilles trà ¨s bien.   You do very well for yourself, You make a good living.Conjugating dà ©brouiller | Using dà ©brouillerFaillirI love the verb faillir, partly because its not equivalent to a verb in English, but rather an adverb: to almost (do something).   Jai failli manquer lautobus.   I almost missed the bus.   Elle a failli tomber ce matin.   She nearly fell this morning.Conjugating faillir | Using faillirFicherFicher has a number of different meanings and uses. In the normal register, ficher means to file or to stick/drive (something) into (something). Informally, ficher means to do, to give, to put, and more.   Il a dà ©j fichà © les documents.   He already filed the documents.   Mais quest-ce que tu fiches, l ?   What the heck are you doing?Conjugating ficher | Using ficherIgnorerIgnorer is another great French verb that needs an adverb in the English translation: to not know. Sure, you can also say ne pas savoir, but ignorer is shorter and somehow more elegant.   Jignore comment elle la fait.   I dont know how she did it.   Il prà ©tend ignorer pourquoi.   He claims not to know why.Conjugating ignorer | Using ignorerInstallerYou know installer means to install, put in, set up, but it has additional meanings: to put up (e.g., curtains) and to furnish (a room). Sinstaller means to settle (into a lodging), to set oneself up, to sit down, or to take hold.Â Â à ‚ Tu as bien installà © ton appartement.   Youve furnished your apartment nicely.    Nous nous sommes enfin installà ©s dans la nouvelle maison.   Were finally settled in the new home.Conjugating installer | Using installerRangerRanger means to arrange, tidy, put away - any sort of action related to putting things where they belong. (Please, no comments on why I didnt know this verb.)   Peux-tu maider ranger la cuisine ?   Could you help me tidy up the kitchen?   Il a rangà © les documents dans le tiroir.   He put the documents away in the drawer.Conjugating ranger | Using rangerSe rà ©galerIts not surprising that the French have a verb, se rà ©galer, for talking about how delicious something is, but what is unusual is that the subject of the verb in the English translation can be different. Note that se rà ©galer can also mean to have a good time, and that rà ©galer means either to treat someone to a meal or to regale someone with a story.   Je me suis rà ©galà © !   It was delici ous! I had a delicious meal!   On sest bien rà ©galà © la fà ªte.   We had a great time at the party. Conjugating rà ©galer | Using rà ©galerRisquerYou likely use risquer to talk about risks, but what you might not know is that it can also be used for positive possibilities.   Attention, tu risques de tomber.   Careful, you might fall.   Je pense vraiment que notre à ©quipe risque de gagner.   I really think our team might win.Conjugating risquer | Using risquerTenirTenir is another verb with a whole host of meanings that you might not be aware of: to hold, keep, run (a business), take up (space), and more.   Peux-tu tenir mon sac ?   Can you hold my bag?   Ses affaires tiennent pas mal de place.   His things take up a fair amount of space.Conjugating tenir | Using tenirTrierThe verb trier is used to talk about sorting everything from recyclables to baskets of fruit.   Il faut trier avant de recycler.   You have to sort (your garbage) before recycling (it).   Beaucoup de ces frambois es sont pourries - aide-moi les trier.   A lot of these raspberries are rotten - help me sort them (separate the good and bad ones). Conjugating trier | Using trierTutoyerThe quintessential French verb, you can use tutoyer only when you think its time to take your relationships to the next level: switching from vous to tu. (And dont forget about its antonym vouvoyer.)   On peut se tutoyer ?   Can we use tu?   Normalement, on tutoie ses parents.   Normally, people use tu with their parents.Conjugating tutoyer | Using tutoyerRelated lessons:   Top 10 verbs   5 verbs you might be overusing
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