French Conversation · Level 134
30 words
French word
chavirer
Pronunciation
IPA/ʃaviʁe/
Meaning
- verbcapsize
Example
La barque chavire parfois.
The boat sometimes capsizes.
More examples
Cette chanson me chavire.
This song deeply affects me.
Core concept
A boat or inner state suddenly tipped out of balance and turned over.
Common phrases
ça me chavire
It deeply affects me
le cœur chavire
The heart turns over
Similar words
renverser: To knock something over by pushing or hitting it.
basculer: To tip over when momentum or a shift in weight causes it to lose balance.
Definition in French
Se retourner ou basculer, surtout pour un bateau ou un petit objet ; par extension, troubler profondément quelqu'un.
Word origin
Chavirer comes from Old French chavirer, with related forms such as chevirer and chavirier, while its deeper etymology remains uncertain.
Usage tips
- In the physical sense, chavirer is often intransitive, as in La barque chavire, whereas the emotional sense can take a person as its object.