French Conversation · Level 105
58 words
French word
germer
Pronunciation
IPA/ʒɛʁme/
Meaning
- verbgerminate
Example
Les graines germent au printemps.
The seeds germinate in spring.
More examples
On peut laisser germer des haricots dans un bocal.
You can let beans germinate in a jar.
Core concept
A first shoot pushing through its covering, like a new idea beginning to take shape.
Common phrases
laisser germer
let ___ germinate
Similar words
pousser: To grow taller or longer over time.
grandir: To become larger as time passes.
éclore: To emerge when an egg or bud splits open.
Definition in French
Commencer à pousser pour une plante; servir aussi au sens figuré pour le début naissant d'une idée ou d'un sentiment.
Word origin
French germer derives from Latin germinare, meaning 'to sprout', and is related to Latin germen, meaning 'bud'.
Usage tips
- Germer is normally intransitive: Les graines germent means 'The seeds sprout', while faire germer makes something sprout.