French Conversation · Level 115
59 words
French word
échouer
Pronunciation
IPA/eʃwe/
Meaning
- verbfail
Example
Si tu ne révises pas, tu vas échouer à l'examen.
If you don't study, you'll fail the exam.
More examples
Elle a échoué à l'oral hier.
She failed the oral examination yesterday.
Core concept
A boat reaches the shore instead of its destination, and a person, plan, or attempt likewise fails to reach the expected result.
Common phrases
échouer à un examen
fail an examination
échouer à l'oral
fail the oral examination
échouer à l'examen de conduite
fail the driving test
Similar words
rater: Fail to produce the expected result in an exam or task.
manquer: Miss a necessary opportunity or event by being unable to attend.
louper: Colloquially, mess up an appointment or event.
se planter: Colloquially, make a major mistake in an important situation.
Definition in French
Ne pas réussir à atteindre le résultat attendu ; ne pas réussir un examen, un projet ou une tentative.
Word origin
French échouer comes from Old French eschouer, originally meaning to run aground, which developed the figurative sense of failing to reach a goal.
Usage tips
- For an exam, French uses échouer à un examen, while échouer l'examen is not standard in general French.