French word

éprendre

Pronunciation

IPA/epʁɑ̃dʁ/

Meaning

  • verbfall for ___

Example

Elle s'éprend de son professeur.

She falls for her teacher.

Illustration for éprendre (fall for ___)

More examples

Elle s'éprend d'un collègue qu'elle voit tous les jours.

She falls in love with a colleague she sees every day.

Core concept

A heart suddenly caught and held by a person, leaving little room for anything else.

Similar words

aimer: To love someone deeply and feel a strong wish to cherish them.
tomber amoureux: To fall in love with someone and become passionately attached.

Definition in French

Désigne le fait de tomber amoureux soudainement et avec passion, généralement employé sous la forme « s'éprendre de quelqu'un ».

Word origin

Éprendre comes from Old French esprendre, historically related to Latin ex- and prehendere, 'to seize'; its meaning developed toward being seized by passion.

Usage tips

  • The usual construction is s'éprendre de quelqu'un, and it is more literary than everyday tomber amoureux.

Opposites

  • se désintéresser delose interest in ___verb

Word lists with this word