French Conversation · Level 169
15 words
French word
pleurnicher
Pronunciation
IPA/plœʁniʃe/
Meaning
- verbwhine
Example
Il pleurniche quand il est fatigué.
He whines when he is tired.
More examples
Les enfants pleurnichent souvent pour avoir des bonbons.
The children often whine to get candy.
Core concept
A child voices the same minor grievance again and again while nearly crying.
Common phrases
arrêter de pleurnicher
stop whining
se mettre à pleurnicher
start whining
Similar words
se plaindre: To voice dissatisfaction or problems.
râler: To grumble irritably and express discontent.
pleurer: To weep and shed tears.
chouiner: To keep making quiet, whiny complaints.
Definition in French
Exprimer un mécontentement répété et plaintif, sans grande intensité, souvent accompagné de petits sanglots ou de gémissements.
Word origin
Pleurnicher developed from pleurer as an expressive altered form referring to weak or affected crying.
Usage tips
- Pleurnicher is intransitive; common patterns include pleurnicher sur son sort and pleurnicher pour obtenir quelque chose.
Other meanings
- whimperverb
- snivelverb
- complainverb
Related words
- pleurnicheurwhinernoun
- pleurnicheriewhiningnoun
- pleurnichardwhinyadjective