French Conversation · Level 83
60 words
French word
plier
Pronunciation
IPA/plije/
Meaning
- verbfold
Example
Peux-tu plier cette chemise ?
Can you fold this shirt?
More examples
Je ne veux pas me plier à ses exigences.
I do not want to yield to his demands.
Core concept
A flexible surface folds inward onto itself, becoming smaller or yielding under pressure.
Common phrases
plier une chemise
fold a shirt
plier en deux
fold in half
Similar words
replier: To fold something again after it has been opened.
se plier: To change one's behavior to comply with rules or demands.
rabattre: To fold an edge or section downward or inward.
Definition in French
Rabattre ou replier une partie souple d'un objet sur elle-même pour réduire sa taille ou son épaisseur ; au figuré, fléchir ou céder.
Word origin
French plier comes from Latin plicare, 'to fold', through Old French forms related to pli.
Usage tips
- Plier normally takes a direct object, as in plier la chemise, while the figurative sense of yielding commonly uses se plier à.