French word

pécher

Pronunciation

IPA/peʃe/

Meaning

  • verbsin

Example

Il a péché hier.

He sinned yesterday.

Illustration for pécher (sin)

More examples

Elle craint de pécher à nouveau.

She fears sinning again.

Core concept

A choice or action that departs from an accepted moral standard and becomes a personal fault.

Similar words

commettre: To commit a crime or wrongful act.
transgresser: To violate a norm or cross a set boundary.
enfreindre: To break a rule or violate a law.

Definition in French

Être coupable d'une mauvaise action, souvent employé dans des locutions figées comme « pécher par ... » pour préciser la cause ou le type d'erreur.

Word origin

Latin peccare developed into Old French pechier and then modern French pécher, while péché and pécheur preserve the same lexical family.

Usage tips

  • Pécher and pêcher sound alike in standard French, but pécher concerns wrongdoing whereas pêcher concerns catching fish.

Related words

Word lists with this word