French Conversation · Level 48
74 words
French word
fouiller
Pronunciation
IPA/fuje/
Meaning
- verbrummage through ___
Example
Elle a fouillé ses poches.
She rummaged through her pockets.
More examples
Le contrôleur a fouillé mon sac.
The inspector searched my bag.
Core concept
A hand probes and turns over items in a confined space until a particular object is found.
Common phrases
fouiller les poches
search through the pockets
fouiller un sac
search a bag
Similar words
chercher: Search for a particular person or thing.
fouiner: Secretly snoop through belongings or places to uncover information or objects.
fureter: Poke around various places, looking for information or objects.
Definition in French
Chercher ou examiner quelque chose en remuant ou en touchant, surtout dans des poches, des sacs ou des tiroirs.
Word origin
The French verb fouiller developed from Old French and ultimately from Latin fodere, 'to dig', extending the idea of digging to searching by touch.
Usage tips
- With dans, fouiller describes rummaging inside a place or container, as in fouiller dans un sac; without dans, the container itself is the direct object.