French word

nourrir

Pronunciation

IPA/nuʁiʁ/

Meaning

  • verbfeed

Example

Je dois nourrir le chat maintenant.

I have to feed the cat now.

Illustration for nourrir (feed)

More examples

Pour nourrir la famille, il travaille beaucoup.

To provide for the family, he works a lot.

Core concept

Providing essential nourishment to a body, a living being, or an idea that needs support.

Common phrases

  • nourrir un enfant

    feed a child

  • nourrir le chat

    feed the cat

  • nourrir la famille

    provide for the family

Similar words

donner à manger: Provide a person or animal with a single meal.
alimenter: Keep supplying food or fuel to operate or support something.
entretenir: Maintain a relationship or feeling through continued care and attention.

Definition in French

Fournir à une personne, à un animal ou, au sens figuré, à une idée les éléments nécessaires pour se développer ou subsister.

Word origin

Nourrir is an inherited French form from Latin nutrire, transmitted through Old French norrir and later extended to abstract objects.

Usage tips

  • In figurative French, nourrir commonly combines with nouns such as un espoir, une ambition, or une haine to mean sustaining them.

Other meanings

  • provide for ___verb
  • nourishverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word