French word

espionner

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛspjone/

Meaning

  • verbspy on

Example

Tu m'espionnes ?

Are you spying on me?

Illustration for espionner (spy on)

More examples

On m'a espionné par téléphone.

I was spied on over the phone.

Core concept

Someone quietly tracks a person, conversation, or activity to learn what is meant to stay hidden.

Common phrases

  • espionner quelqu'un

    spy on someone

  • espionner un téléphone

    spy on a phone

  • se faire espionner

    be spied on

Similar words

surveiller: Continuously monitor someone's actions or condition to detect changes.
écouter: Secretly listen to conversations or sounds to obtain information.
suivre: Follow someone to track their destination or movements.
observer: Watch closely for details and changes in a situation or expression.

Definition in French

Regarder, écouter ou suivre quelqu'un à son insu pour obtenir des informations, souvent de façon clandestine.

Word origin

The verb comes from espion, a French borrowing of Italian spione meaning a spy, with the productive -er ending added to form a verb.

Usage tips

  • In Tu m'espionnes ?, m' is the direct-object pronoun placed before the verb, with elision before the vowel sound.

Other meanings

  • monitorverb
  • eavesdrop onverb
  • tailverb

Related words

Word lists with this word