French Conversation · Level 190
16 words
French word
coffrer
Pronunciation
IPA/kofʁe/
Meaning
- verbarrest
Example
La police a coffré le suspect hier soir.
The police arrested the suspect last night.
More examples
Le voleur s'est fait coffrer ce matin.
The thief was arrested this morning.
Core concept
A person shut into a locked box and unable to get out.
Common phrases
coffrer quelqu'un
arrest someone
se faire coffrer
get arrested
Similar words
arrêter: To arrest someone legally, typically by the police.
Definition in French
Mettre quelqu'un en état d'arrestation, souvent employé de façon familière par la police ou la presse.
Word origin
Coffrer derives from French coffre, meaning a chest or strongbox, from Old French cofre and ultimately Latin cophinus, so its arrest sense extends the idea of putting someone in a container.
Usage tips
- Coffrer is a familiar or journalistic verb, while arrêter is the neutral choice in formal French.