French Conversation · Level 89
60 words
French word
égarer
Pronunciation
IPA/egaʁe/
Meaning
- verblose
Example
Il a égaré son portefeuille dans le bus.
He lost his wallet on the bus.
More examples
J'ai égaré mes clés ce matin.
I mislaid my keys this morning.
Core concept
A familiar object slips out of its usual place and becomes temporarily out of reach.
Common phrases
égarer mes clés
mislay my keys
égarer son portefeuille
mislay his wallet
égarer des documents importants
mislay important documents
Similar words
perdre: To lose an item so that its whereabouts are unknown.
oublier: To have something slip from memory and be unable to remember it.
laisser: To leave something behind and later no longer have it with you.
Definition in French
Égarer signifie faire perdre momentanément un objet en le mettant ou en le laissant quelque part par inadvertance.
Word origin
Égarer comes from Old French esgarer, meaning to lead or send astray, and later developed the sense of causing an object to be out of place.
Usage tips
- Égarer is transitive, as in "J'ai égaré mon portefeuille"; the reflexive form s'égarer is used when a person or thing goes astray.