verb: fondre

ByFast French

The French verb “fondre” means “to melt,” along with a host of other meanings. It’s a useful verb to know if you’re heading into summer temperatures.

“Fondre” can mean “to melt,” “to melt down,” “to thaw,” “to thaw out,” “to cast,” “to dissolve,” “to melt away,” “to waste away,” “to soften,” or when used reflexively, “to blend in with,” or “to melt into.”

Examples

  • viande qui fond dans la bouche (meat which melts in your mouth)
  • faire fondre (to melt)
  • je fonds du beurre dans la poêle (I’m melting some butter in the pan)
  • faire fondre dans un peu d’eau (to dissolve in a little water)
  • avoir fondu de dix kilos (to have lost ten kilos)
  • il fond devant sa petite-fille (his heart melts when he sees his granddaughter)
  • fondre en larmes (to dissolve into tears)
  • nous fondrons les deux succursales dans la maison-mère (The two business owners decided to merge their firms to form one large organisation)
  • le voleur s’est fondu dans la foule (The thief vanished/disappeared into the crowd)

Etymology

“Fondre” comes from the Latin verb “fundere,” meaning “to pour” or “to melt.” Its first recorded usage in French dates to 1050AD. “Fondre” in its meaning of “to cast” or “to melt” is related to the English word “foundry,” which is a workshop or factory for casting metal.

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

  • to happen

    ByFast French

    There are few different ways of translating the verb “to happen” into French. You can use the French verbs “se passer,” “arriver” or “se produire.” Let’s look at some examples of each, in order of most frequent usage. se passer arriver se produire

  • |

    comme

    ByFast French

    The French word “comme” can function either as an adverb or as a conjunction. Adverb As an adverb, “comme” means “how.” Another word that is used similarly is “que.” Conjunction Comme as a conjunction can mean “as” or “like.” Idiomatic expressions Etymology: The word “comme” comes from the Latin word “quam.” In Old French, it…

  • |

    Demonstrative pronouns

    ByFast French

    Demonstrative pronouns in French—celui, celle, ceux, celles—replace specific nouns while indicating gender and number. They correspond to English pronouns like “this one,” “that one,” “these,” and “those.” Unlike demonstrative adjectives (which modify nouns), demonstrative pronouns stand alone, referring to something previously mentioned or implied. Rules for Using French Demonstrative Pronouns Celui – Masculine singular Celle…

  • être mal barré

    ByFast French

    The French saying “être mal barré” means “to get off to a bad start,” “to be heading for failure,” or “to get into big trouble.” Literally it translates as “to be badly steered” or “to be badly guided,” in the nautical sense of steering or guiding. “La barre” is the tiller or the helm of…

  • could

    ByFast French

    The English word “could” expresses several distinct ideas, including past ability, successful past opportunity, present or future possibility, polite suggestion, permission, hypothesis, and unreal past events. French does not have a single equivalent. Translation depends on function and context, most commonly using forms of pouvoir, the conditional mood, or other structures. Past ability in general…

  • un coup

    ByFast French

    The French noun “un coup” is versatile and widely used in various contexts. It can mean “a blow” or “a stroke,” but its meanings extend far beyond these basic definitions. Basic Meanings Idiomatic Expressions “Un coup” appears in many idiomatic expressions, each with its own unique meaning. Here are some common ones: