French Conversation · Level 61
71 words
French word
balancer
Pronunciation
IPA/balɑ̃se/
Meaning
- verbrock
Example
Il balance le bébé doucement dans ses bras.
He gently rocks the baby in his arms.
More examples
La mère balance doucement l'enfant sur la balançoire.
The mother gently rocks the child on the swing.
Core concept
A person or object traces a repeated swing through space, like a cradle moving gently between two sides.
Common phrases
balancer un bébé
rock a baby
balancer les jambes
swing one's legs
Similar words
secouer: To shake something hard so its contents or attached debris move.
bercer: To gently rock an infant or child in one's arms to help it sleep.
jeter: To throw something far away.
dénoncer: To alert authorities or others to another person's wrongdoing.
Definition in French
Mettre en mouvement de va-et-vient un objet ou une personne, en produisant un balancement régulier ou irrégulier.
Word origin
French balancer combines balance, borrowed through Italian from Latin bilanx, with the productive verb-forming ending -er.
Usage tips
- In informal French, balancer can also mean to throw something or denounce someone, so context distinguishes these uses from physical swinging.
Other meanings
- swayverb
- throwverb
- snitchverb
Opposites
- stabiliserstabilizeverb
- immobiliserimmobilizeverb
Related words
- balancementrockingnoun
- balancierpendulumnoun