French Conversation · Level 72
58 words
French word
céder
Pronunciation
IPA/sede/
Meaning
- verbgive up
Example
Il a cédé sa place à la vieille dame.
He gave up his seat to the elderly lady.
More examples
Elle a cédé la priorité au cycliste.
She yielded the right of way to the cyclist.
Core concept
A person steps back from a possession or position, allowing another person to take it.
Common phrases
céder sa place
give up one's seat
céder la priorité
yield the right of way
céder la parole
give up the floor
Similar words
donner: Transferring ownership of something to another person.
laisser: Leaving a place or belonging available for another person to use.
passer: Passing an item into another person's hands.
prêter: Letting another person use something for a limited time.
Definition in French
Transférer volontairement une chose, une place ou un droit à une autre personne, ou renoncer à une revendication sous la pression.
Word origin
French céder comes from Latin cedere, meaning 'to go' or 'to withdraw', whose sense developed toward giving way and transferring something.
Usage tips
- With a direct object, céder means to give up or transfer something, while céder à + noun means to yield to a person, demand, or pressure.
Other meanings
- transferverb
- yieldverb
- concedeverb
Related words
- concessionconcessionnoun
- concéderconcedeverb