The French Verb “Détendre”: Unraveling Layers of Relaxation The French verb “détendre” means “to relax,” “to loosen,” “to untighten,” “to release” or even “to entertain.” It also has a reflexive version, “se détendre,” which also means “to relax” or “to slacken.” Etymology:“Détendre” comes from the Latin words, “de” (down from) and “tendere” (to stretch). Usage:…

The French verbs se rappeler and se souvenir both mean “to remember” or “to recall.” They are often interchangeable in meaning, but they differ mainly in their grammatical construction. 1. Se souvenir de Se souvenir de is followed by de before a noun, pronoun, infinitive, or some other complement. Examples: Before a plural definite article,…