French word

déranger

Pronunciation

IPA/deʁɑ̃ʒe/

Meaning

  • verbbother

Example

Désolé de vous déranger, pouvez-vous attendre une minute ?

Sorry to bother you, can you wait a minute?

Illustration for déranger (bother)

More examples

On parle à voix basse pour ne pas déranger les voisins.

We speak softly so as not to bother the neighbors.

Core concept

A disturbance enters an ongoing situation and breaks its calm rhythm or direction.

Common phrases

  • déranger les voisins

    bother the neighbors

  • déranger la conversation

    interrupt the conversation

Similar words

gêner: To hinder proper functioning and cause inconvenience.
embêter: To mildly annoy someone or cause them some bother.
interrompre: To interrupt an activity or conversation and briefly stop it.
importuner: To pester someone by repeatedly disturbing their peace or taking up their time.

Definition in French

Interrompre une personne ou perturber sa concentration, son repos ou son activité.

Word origin

Déranger is a descendant of Old French desrengier, formed with dé- and rengier, and its meaning developed from undoing an arrangement to causing disturbance.

Usage tips

  • Déranger quelqu'un takes the person as a direct object, as in Je ne veux pas vous déranger, without the preposition à.

Other meanings

  • troubleverb
  • disturbverb

Opposites

  • laisser tranquilleleave undisturbedverb

Related words

  • dérangementdisturbancenoun
  • dérangeantannoyingadjective

Word lists with this word