Les 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
Caitlin, will you be posting more information on verbs? It would be wonderful to have information on the past tense and avoir versus etre conjugations.
Hello Dr. Arzt,
Yes, I do intend on posting more information on verbs. I will definitely make sure to include the usage of the different forms of past, present, futur, conditional, and subjunctive tenses. I have been working on another handout for French students as well that describes when it is appropriate to use avoir and etre conjugations. As soon as I have a chance I will post it so it is available for students on the blog. Thank you for the suggestions though! If you have any more ideas on what would be useful for students to have available to them online, please let me know. Thanks again!