French Conversation · Level 148
30 words
French word
manier
Pronunciation
IPA/manje/
Meaning
- verbhandle
Example
Sais-tu manier ce couteau ?
Do you know how to handle this knife?
More examples
Elle apprend à manier la machine.
She is learning to operate the machine.
Core concept
A steady hand guiding a tool or material with controlled skill.
Common phrases
manier une machine
operate a machine
manier un appareil
operate a device
Similar words
utiliser: To employ an object or tool to achieve a particular purpose.
manipuler: To manipulate something precisely by hand or with a tool.
Definition in French
Utiliser ou manipuler un objet, un outil ou un matériau en faisant preuve d'habileté ou de contrôle.
Word origin
Manier comes through Old French from Latin manus, meaning 'hand', and developed from hand-based handling to skilled control of an object.
Usage tips
- Manier takes a direct object, as in manier un couteau, with no preposition before the object.