French Conversation · Level 112
59 words
French word
abîmer
Pronunciation
IPA/abime/
Meaning
- verbdamage
Example
Tu vas abîmer ce livre si tu le plies.
You'll damage this book if you fold it.
More examples
Si tu laisses le fromage hors du frigo, tu vas abîmer la nourriture.
If you leave the cheese out of the fridge, you'll spoil the food.
Core concept
Something gradually loses its good surface, performance, or freshness without necessarily falling apart.
Common phrases
abîmer la nourriture
spoil the food
abîmer un appareil
damage a device
Similar words
endommager: To damage part of an object or facility so it works less normally.
casser: To break or crack something with force, destroying its shape or function.
user: To gradually wear something down through use or friction, harming its performance or appearance.
salir: To soil a surface, making it look dirty or unattractive.
Definition in French
Faire perdre à un objet, un aliment ou un état sa qualité, sa fonction ou son apparence par une altération, sans forcément le casser.
Word origin
The verb abîmer developed from Old French forms related to abisme, 'abyss', whose Latin source is abyssus and whose Greek source is abyssos.
Usage tips
- Abîmer takes a direct object, as in abîmer un livre, so it does not use the preposition à before the damaged thing.