English–French

“incubate” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/kuve/

Example

La poule couve ses œufs.

The hen is incubating her eggs.

Illustration for couver (incubate)

How to say “incubate” in French

“Incubate” in French is couver.

A hen stays settled over eggs, while the same hidden warmth keeps a plan or grievance alive inside.

Full entry for couver: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with couver

Il couve une maladie sans symptômes.

He harbors a disease without symptoms.

Tips for using couver

  • Couver is usually transitive: couver des œufs is literal, while couver une rancune or couver un projet is figurative.

“incubate” in other languages