parer

ByFast French

The French verb “parer” means “to ward off,” “to parry,” or “to fend off.”

It can also mean “to protect,” “to attribute” or “to adorn.” So many meanings for one verb!

  • Le gardien a réussi à parer le tir du joueur adverse. (The goalkeeper managed to ward off the opponent’s shot.)
  • Le maître d’escrime a enseigné à ses élèves comment parer les coups de leur adversaire. (The fencing master taught his students how to parry their opponent’s strikes.)
  • Le chien a paré l’intrus en aboyant et en montrant les dents. (The dog fended off the intruder by barking and showing its teeth.)
  • La crème solaire aide à parer la peau contre les effets nocifs du soleil. (Sunscreen helps protect the skin against the harmful effects of the sun.)
  • La mariée se pare d’une robe blanche et de bijoux scintillants. (The bride adorns herself with a white dress and sparkling jewelry.)
  • On lui a toujours paré de qualités de leadership et de compassion. (He has always been attributed with qualities of leadership and compassion.)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • se passer

    ByFast French

    The French verb “se passer” means “to happen” or “to take place.” Conjugation in the Present Tense: “Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used impersonally with “il,” “ça” or “ils.” It is not used with other subjects such as je, tu, elle, etc. Conjugation in the Passé Composé: “Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used…

  • toujours – always or still?

    ByFast French

    The French adverb toujours is a deceptively simple word that learners encounter early in their studies. It is most often translated as “always,” but depending on context, it can also mean “still.” These two meanings are not interchangeable, and understanding when toujours means one or the other is essential for mastering everyday French. 1. Toujours…

  • Verb: devoir

    ByFast French

    1. To Have To – Expressing Necessity and Obligation: The primary meaning of “devoir” is to express necessity and obligation, akin to “to have to” or “must” in English. It emphasizes the requirement to perform an action or fulfill a duty. Examples: Conjugations: 2. Ought To – Expressing Moral or Social Expectations: “Devoir” also conveys…

  • ne explétif vs ne littéraire

    ByFast French

    French learners often encounter the particle ne used in contexts where it does not indicate negation. This usage can be confusing, as it diverges from the more familiar negation structure ne…pas. Two forms of this non-negative ne are worth distinguishing: the ne explétif and the ne littéraire. Though both are considered stylistic or optional in…

  • venir

    ByFast French

    The French verb “venir” means “to come.” It is one of the most frequently used verbs in the French language. Present Tense (Présent) Future Tense (Futur Simple) Passé Composé In the passé composé, the verb “venir” uses “être” as the auxiliary verb, and the past participle “venu” agrees in gender and number with the subject.

  • Grammar: Imperfect tense

    ByFast French

    The Imperfect verb tense (l’imparfait) in French is used to express continuous action in the past. If we use the English verb “to give” as an example, the meanings of the French Imperfect version of this verb would be “I was giving,” “I used to give,” “I kept on giving,” or even “I gave.” There…