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French handouts: Les verbes de savoir
6 10 2008Les verbes de savoir
accéder à: to accede to, to comply with
accélérer: to accelerate, to go faster
accepter: to accept
accompagner: to accompany
s’accompagner de: to be accompanied by
accourir vers: to come running toward
accueillir: to greet, to welcome
acheter: to buy, to purchase
acheter quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to buy something from someone
acheter comptant: to buy in cash
acheter à crédit: to buy on credit
admettre: to admit
admirer: to admire
adorer: to adore, to worship
agir: to act
agir en dessous: to act underhandedly
agir comme il faut: to behave properly
s’agir: to be the matter, to be a question of
s’agir de: to have to do with, to be a matter of
agrandir: to expand, to enlarge
aimer: to like, to love
aimer bien quelqu’un: to like somebody
aimer (à) faire quelque chose: to like to do something; to enjoy doing
something
aimer mieux: to prefer, to like better
amoureux, amoureuse de: in love with
tomber amoureux, amoureuse: to fall in love
aimer à s’écouter parler: to love to hear one’s own voice
ajouter: to add
ajouter foi à: to add credence to, to give credence to
aller: to go
aller chercher: to go and get
aller chercher quelqu’un
ou quelque chose: to go get someone or something
s’en aller: to go away
amener: to bring, to lead, to take, to bring along (people)
amuser: to amuse, to entertain
s’amuser: to have a good time, to amuse oneself, to enjoy oneself
s’amuser à + infinitive: to enjoy oneself + present participle
s’amuser de: to make fun of
s’amuser avec: to play with
s’amuser au lieu d’ étudier: to have a good time instead of
studying
appeler: to call, to name, to appeal
en appeler à quelqu’un: to call back, to remind, to recall
faire l’appel: to call the roll
s’appeler: to be named, to call oneself
apporter: to bring (things), to bear
apprendre: to learn
apprendre par coeur: to memorize
apprendre à quelqu’un
à faire quelque chose: to teach somebody to do something
apprendre quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to inform someone of something; to teach someone something
apprendre à faire quelque chose: to learn to do something
arranger: to arrange
arranger quelque chose: to arrange, to contrive something
arranger l’affaire: to straighten out a matter
arranger quelqu’un: to accommodate, to suit someone
arrêter: to arrest, to stop (someone or something)
arrêter quelqu’un de faire
quelque chose: to stop someone from doing
something
arrêter un jour: to set a date
arrêter un marché: to make a deal
s’arrêter: to stop (oneself, itself), to pause
s’arrêter de faire quelque chose: to desist from doing something
arriver: to arrive, to happen
arriver à faire quelque chose: to succeed in + present participle; to
manage to do something
arriver à: to happen to
arriver en avance: to arrive early
s’asseoir: to sit down
asseoir quelqu’un: to seat someone
assister: to assist (at), to be present (at), to attend
assister à: to be present at, to attend
assister de: to help with
s’assurer: to make sure, to assure oneself, to insure oneself
s’assurer de la protection
de quelqu’un: to secure someone’s protection
attendre: to wait, to wait for, to expect
faire attendre quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to make someone wait for something; to
keep someone waiting for something
s’attendre à: to expect
s’attendre que + subjunctive: to expect that + subjunctive
attraper: to catch
attraper un rhume: to catch a cold
attraper quelqu’un
à quelque chose: to catch someone at something (to
surprise)
s’attraper: to be catching, infectious
avancer: to advance, to go forward
avancer une théorie: to promote a theory
avoir: to have
avoir un goût de: to taste like
avoir bon espoir de réussir: to have good hopes of succeeding
avoir…ans: to be…years old
avoir à + infinitive: to have to, to be obliged to + infinitive
avoir besoin de: to need, to have need of
avoir chaud: to be (feel) warm (persons)
avoir froid: to be (feel) cold (persons)
avoir sommeil: to be (feel) sleepy
avoir quelue chose à faire: to have something to do
avoir de la chance: to be lucky
avoir faim: to be hungry
avoir soif: to be thirsty
avoir mal à la gorge,
à la tête, etc.: to have a sore throat, to have a headache, etc
avoir la dent dure: to have a sharp tongue
avoir les dents longues: to be ambitious (greedy)
avoir une dent contre: to have it in for
avoir le dernière mot: to have the last laugh
baylayer: to sweep
bâtir: to build, to construct
battre: to beat, to hit, to strike
battre des mains: to clap, to applaud
battre la campagne: to scour the countryside
se battre: to fight
bavarder: to chat, to chatter, to babble, to gossip
perdre son temps à bavarder: to waste one’s time babbling
bénir: to bless
blesser: to harm, to hurt, to injure, to wound, to offend
blesser à mort: to wound mortally
se blesser: to hurt oneself, to injure oneself, to wound oneself
boire: to drink
boire à la santé de quelqu’un: to drink to someone’s health
boire un coup: to have a drink
brosser: to brush
se brosser: to brush oneself
se brosser les dents,
les cheveux, etc.: to brush one’s teeth, hair, etc.
brûler: to burn
brûler d’amour: to be madly in love
brûler de faire quelque chose: to be eager to do something
brûler un feu rouge: to pass through a red traffic light
cacher: to hide
cacher quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to hide something from someone
se cacher: to hide oneself
se cacher de quelqu’un: to hide from someone
cacheter: to seal up
casser: to break
se casser: to break (a part of one’s body, e.g., leg, arm, nose)
se casser la tête: to rack one’s brains
se casser le nez: to find nobody answering the door
casser la tête
à quelqu’un: to annoy someone
casser la croûte: to have a snack
causer: to cause, to chat
causer de la pluie et
du beau temps: to chat about the weather
céder: to yield, to cede
céder à: to give up, to give in, to yield to
céder le pas à quelqu’un: to give way to someone
céder par faiblesse: to give in out of weakness
céder à la tentation: to give in to temptation
cesser: to cease
cesser de se voir: to stop seeing each other
cesser le feu: to cease fire
cesser de faire quelque chose: to stop doing something
changer: to change
changer d’avis: to change one’s mind
changer de route: to take another road
chanter: to sing
charger: to burden, to charge, to load
charger de malédictions: to curse
charger de louanges: to overwhelm with praises
chasser: to hunt, to pursue, to chase, to drive out
chercher: to look for, to search, to seek
chercher à: to attempt to, to try to
se chercher: to look for one another
choisir: to choose, to select, to pick
commander: to command, to order
commander à quelqu’un
de faire quelque chose: to order someone to do something
commencer: to begin, to start, to commence
commencer à + infinitive: to begin + infinitive
comprendre: to understand, to comprehend
faire comprendre
à quelqu’un que…: to make it clear to someone that…
compter: to count, to intend, to expect to
compter faire quelque chose: to expect to do something
compter sur: to count (rely) on, to depend on
sans compter…: say nothing of
concasser: to crush (cereal, stones)
concéder à: to concede to, to grant
conduire: to lead, to drive, to conduct, to manage
conduire une voiture: to drive a car
se conduire: to conduct (baehave) oneself
confondre: to confound, to confuse
connaître: to know, to be acquainted with, to make the acquaintance of
faire connaissance: to get acquainted
se connaître: to know each other, to know oneself
construire: to construct, to build
conter: to relate, to narrate
continuer: to continue
continuer à + infinitive: to continue + infinitive
continuer de + infinitive: to continue (persist) in
contredire: to contradict
corriger: to correct
corriger quelqu’un de: to correct someone of
se corriger: to correct one’s ways
se coucher: to go to bed, to lie down
se coucher tôt: to go to bed early
couper: to cut, to switch off
couper les cheveux en quatre: to split hairs
se faire couper les cheveux: to have one’s hair cut
couper la fièvre: to reduce a fever
courir: to run, to race
faire courir un bruit: to spread a rumor
courir une course: to run a race
courir le monde: to roam all over the world
courir les rues: to run about the streets
coûter: to cost
coûter cher: to be expensive
coûter peu: to be inexpensive
coûter à quelqu’un: to cost someone
couvrir: to cover
se couvrir: to cover oneself, to put on one’s hat
craindre: to fear, to be afraid
craindre pour sa vie: to be in fear of one’s life
crier: to shout, to cry out
pousser un cri: to utter a cry
crier à tue-tête: to shout one’s head off
croire: to believe
se croire: to think of oneself; to consider oneself
croire à quelque chose: to believe in something
croire en quelqu’un: to believe in someone
cueiller: to gather, to pick
cuire: to cook
danser: to dance
décommander un rendez-vous: to cancel a date, to cancel an appointment
découper: to cut out
découvrir: to discover, to disclose, to uncover
décrire: to describe
défaillir: to weaken, to faint
défendre: to defend, to forbid, to prohibit
défendre quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to forbid someone something
se défendre: to defend oneself
se défendre d’avoir fait
quelque chose: to deny having done something
déjeuner: to lunch, to have lunch, breakfast
demander: to ask (for), to request
faire une demande de: to apply for
se demander: to wonder
demeurer: to reside, to live, to remain, to stay
demeurer couché: to stay in bed
demeurer court: to stop short
demeurer à un hôtel: to stay at a hotel
dépêcher: to dipatch
se dépêcher: to hurry, to hasten
se dépêcher de faire
quelque chose: to hurry to do something
dépenser: to spend (money)
dépenser sottement: to spend money foolishly
aux dépens se quelqu’un: at someone’s expense
déranger: to disturb, to derange
se déranger: to inconvenience oneself
descendre: to go down, to descend, to take down, to bring down
descendre à un hôtel: to stop (stay over) at a hotel
descendre le store: to pull down the window shade
désirer: to desire
laisser à désirer: to leave much to be desired
désespérer de: to despair of
se désespérer: to be in despair
détester: to detest, to dislike, to hate, to loathe
détruire: to destroy
se détruire: to destroy (to do away with) oneself
devenir: to become
devenir fou, devenir folle: to go mad, to go crazy
devoir: to have to, must, ought, owe, should
dîner: to dine, to have dinner
donner un dîner: to give a dinner
diner en ville: to dine out
dire: to say, to tell
dire du bien de: to speak well of
donner: to give
donner un coup de brose: to brush
donner sans compter: to give generously
dorer: to gild
dormir: to sleep
dormir toute la nuit: to sleep through the night
dormir à la belle étoile: to sleep outdoors
dormer sur les deux oreilles: to sleep soundly
douter: to doubt
ne douter de rien: to doubt nothing, to be too credulous
ne se douter de rien: to suspect nothing
se douter de rien: to suspect
écouter: to listen (to)
être à l’écoute: to be listening in
n’écouter personne: not to heed anyone
savoir écouter: to be a good listener
écouter aux portes: to eavesdrop, to listen secretly
échanger: to exchange
écrire: to write
écrire un petit mot
à quelqu’un: to write a note to someone
effrayer: to frighten
égayer: to amuse, to cheer up, to enliven, to entertain
s’égayer aux dépens de: to make fun of
embrasser: to kiss, to embrace
s’embrasser: to embrace each other, to hug each other
emmener: to lead, to lead away, to take away (persons)
empêcher: to hinder, to prevent
empêcher de dormir: to keep from sleeping
empêcher quelqu’un
de faire quelque chose: to prevent someone from doing something
empêcher d’entrer: to keep from entering
s’empêcher de faire
quelque chose: to refrain from doing something
employer: to use, to employ
s’employer à faire quelque chose: to occupy oneself doing something
employer son temps: to spend one’s time
emprunter: to borrow
emprunter quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to borrow something from someone
enchanter: to enchant
endormir: to put to sleep
s’endormir: to fall asleep
enfermer: to shut in
enlever: to carry away, to take away, to remove
enlever les ordures: to take the garbage out
ennuyer: to bore, to annoy, to weary
mourir d’ennui: to be bored to tears, (to be bored to death)
s’ennuyer: to become bored, to get bored
enseigner: to teach
enseigner quelque chose
à quelqu’un: to teach something to someone
entrecouper: to interrupt
entendre: to hear, to understand
entendre dire que: to hear it said that
s’entendre avec quelqu’un: to get along with someone, to understand
each other
entrer: to enter, to come in, to go in
entrer par la fenêtre: to enter through the window
entrer dans + noun: to enter (into) + noun
envoyer: to send
envoyer chercher: to send for
épouser: to marry, to wed
escompter: to discount
espérer: to hope
essayer: to try, to try on
essayer de faire quelque chose: to try to do something
essuyer: to wipe
s’essuyer: to wipe oneself
s’essuyer le front: to wipe one’s brow
éteindre: to extinguish
éteindre le feu: to put out the fire
éteindre la lumière: to turn off the light, to put out the light
s’éteindre: to flicker out, to die out, to die
étendre: to stretch, to extend
étendre le linge: to hang out the wash
étendre la main: to hold out your hand
étendre le bras: to extend your arm
étendre d’eau: to water down
s’étendre: to stretch oneself, to stretch out, to lie down
s’ étendre sur quelque chose: to dwell on something
étonner: to amaze, to astonish, to stun, to surprise
s’étonner de: to be astonished
être: to be
être en train de + infinitive: to be in the act of + present participle,
to be in the process of, to be busy + present participle
être à l’heure: to be on time
être à temps: to be in time
être pressé(e): to be in a hurry, to be pressed for time
étudier: to study
étudier à fond: to study thoroughly
étudier: quelque chose de près; to study something closely
s’ étudier: to analyze oneself
s’excuser: to excuse oneself, to apologize
s’excuser de: to apologize for
exiger: to demand, to require
exiger des soins attentifs: to demand great care
expliquer: to explain
s’expliquer: to be explicit
se fâcher: to become angry, to get angry
fâcher quelqu’un: to anger someone, to offend someone
se fâcher contre quelqu’un: to become angry at someone
se fâcher tout rouge: to turn red with anger
faillir: to fail
faire: to do, to make
faire beau: to be beautiful weather
faire chaud: to be warm or hot weather
faire froid: to be cold weather
faire frais: to be cool weather
faire de l’autostop: to hitchhike
faire attention à quelqu’un
ou à quelque chose: to pay attention to someone or to something
faire une promenade: to take a walk
faire le ménage: to do the housework
faire des travaux de recherches: to carry out research work
faire choix de: to make choice of
faire ses études: to study, to go to school
faire faillite: to go bankrupt
faire un voyage: to take a trip
falloir: to be necessary, must, to be lacking to (à), to need
fermer: to close
fermer à clef: to lock
fermer au verrou: to bolt
fermer le robinet: to turn off the tap
induire: to induce
induire en: to lead into
interrompre: to interrupt
introduire: to introduce, to show in
inviter: to invite
inviter quelqu’un à faire
quelque chose: to invite someone to do something
jouter: to tilt, to joust; to dispute, to fight
manquer: to miss, to lack
se marier avec
quelqu’un: to get married to someone
parcourir: to go through, to travel through, to cover (distance)
parler: to talk, to speak
parler en dormant: to talk in one’s sleep
payer: to pay
payer comptant: to pay cash
produire: to produce
racheter: to ransom; to buy back
raconter: to relate, to tell about, to narrate
rappeler: to call back, to remind, to recall
se rasseoir: to sit down again
rechercher: to investigate, to seek, to look for again
recommander: to recommend
recommander à quelqu’un
de faire quelque chose: to advise someone to do something
reconstruire: to reconstruct, to rebuild
recoriger: to correct again
se recoucher: to go back to bed
redouter: to dread, to fear
renfermer: to enclose
se renseigner: to get information, to inquire
rentrer: to return
renvoyer: to send away (back), to discharge someone
resseoir: to seat again, to reseat
se taire: to be silent, to be quiet, not to speak
traduire: to translate
vouloir: to want
vouloir dire: to mean
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Tags: French, French handouts
Categories : French
