French Verbs for A level French
Multifaceted Verbs Some verbs like ’tenir’ are introduced early on in French
learning through their primary definition - in the case of ‘tenir’ – to hold. As
learning progresses we see how ‘tenir’ is an extremely versatile verb, the meaning
of which will vary according to its context. It can mean (and this list is not
exhaustive) – to manage, to control, to maintain – ‘il ne tient pas bien sa classe’ –
he doesn’t control his classroom very well.
Look also at the verb ‘marcher’; the primary meaning of which is ‘to walk’; it can
also be used to convey that something is functioning or not functioning/ it also
can connote that something is convenient or not.
Verbs that do not have an equivalent in English: Tutoyer; vouvoyez –
to refer to a person in the ‘tu’ or ‘vous’ form
abriter – to shelter, to screen (sans-abri – homeless)
aggraver – to aggravate or to compound to make worse (synonyms for ‘aggraver’
meaing to aggravete- agacer, mettre en colère – synonyms for aggraver meaning
to make worse – combiner, se convenire, render plus intense, aggraver la stuation
- l’air dans le bureau chauffé a aggravé ma toux
arriver – (a multifaceted verb) to arrive or to manage/ to succeed
Je suis enfin arrivé à lui parler. I finally managed to talk to him.
Il n’arrive pas à obtenir le permis. He didn’t succeed in getting the permit.
‘arriver’ can also mean ‘to happen’ ; qu’est ce qui arrive? What is happening.
It is also used to say ‘on my way’; attends, j’arrive -hang on, I am on my way
assister – to attend (il assiste au cours d’enseignement religieux – he attends the religious
education class)
avertir – to warn, to notify, to alert, to inform (un avertissement – a warning)
blesser – to injure ( a regular ’-er’ verb) (risquer de blesser quelq’un)
, bouger – to move
brancher – to plug in, to connect up
chantonner – to sing to oneself, to hum
ciller – to blink
commander – to order (a meal; an item from a catalogue)
compromettre – to compromise
conduire – to drive
contredire – to contradict
converser – to converse, to chat
convier – to invite to, to urge to; le / la convive – guest (at a meal)
coudre – to sew
courir – to run (multifaceted verb) Courir can also denote running in a
metaphorical sense, such as running a business – il court une entreprise
technologie. It can also meant risking –‘courir lerisque de’; ‘nous courons le risqué
de perdre tout notre argent; it can also mean to rush or to hurry – je dois courir
pour attraper le bus’; it also occurs in idiomatic phrases:
courir sur les brisées de quelqu’un – to follow in someone’s footsteps
laisser courir – let it go
courir le monde – to travel the world
craindre – to be afraid of – je ne crains pas la mort – I do not fear death; ne crains rien –
have no fear/ never fear; craindre le pire – to fear the worst; je craint oui – I am afraid so (‘se
faire craindre’ means to intimidate)
crier – to shout
some idiomatic phrases with the verb ‘crier’
Multifaceted Verbs Some verbs like ’tenir’ are introduced early on in French
learning through their primary definition - in the case of ‘tenir’ – to hold. As
learning progresses we see how ‘tenir’ is an extremely versatile verb, the meaning
of which will vary according to its context. It can mean (and this list is not
exhaustive) – to manage, to control, to maintain – ‘il ne tient pas bien sa classe’ –
he doesn’t control his classroom very well.
Look also at the verb ‘marcher’; the primary meaning of which is ‘to walk’; it can
also be used to convey that something is functioning or not functioning/ it also
can connote that something is convenient or not.
Verbs that do not have an equivalent in English: Tutoyer; vouvoyez –
to refer to a person in the ‘tu’ or ‘vous’ form
abriter – to shelter, to screen (sans-abri – homeless)
aggraver – to aggravate or to compound to make worse (synonyms for ‘aggraver’
meaing to aggravete- agacer, mettre en colère – synonyms for aggraver meaning
to make worse – combiner, se convenire, render plus intense, aggraver la stuation
- l’air dans le bureau chauffé a aggravé ma toux
arriver – (a multifaceted verb) to arrive or to manage/ to succeed
Je suis enfin arrivé à lui parler. I finally managed to talk to him.
Il n’arrive pas à obtenir le permis. He didn’t succeed in getting the permit.
‘arriver’ can also mean ‘to happen’ ; qu’est ce qui arrive? What is happening.
It is also used to say ‘on my way’; attends, j’arrive -hang on, I am on my way
assister – to attend (il assiste au cours d’enseignement religieux – he attends the religious
education class)
avertir – to warn, to notify, to alert, to inform (un avertissement – a warning)
blesser – to injure ( a regular ’-er’ verb) (risquer de blesser quelq’un)
, bouger – to move
brancher – to plug in, to connect up
chantonner – to sing to oneself, to hum
ciller – to blink
commander – to order (a meal; an item from a catalogue)
compromettre – to compromise
conduire – to drive
contredire – to contradict
converser – to converse, to chat
convier – to invite to, to urge to; le / la convive – guest (at a meal)
coudre – to sew
courir – to run (multifaceted verb) Courir can also denote running in a
metaphorical sense, such as running a business – il court une entreprise
technologie. It can also meant risking –‘courir lerisque de’; ‘nous courons le risqué
de perdre tout notre argent; it can also mean to rush or to hurry – je dois courir
pour attraper le bus’; it also occurs in idiomatic phrases:
courir sur les brisées de quelqu’un – to follow in someone’s footsteps
laisser courir – let it go
courir le monde – to travel the world
craindre – to be afraid of – je ne crains pas la mort – I do not fear death; ne crains rien –
have no fear/ never fear; craindre le pire – to fear the worst; je craint oui – I am afraid so (‘se
faire craindre’ means to intimidate)
crier – to shout
some idiomatic phrases with the verb ‘crier’
