French Conversation · Level 106
60 words
French word
polir
Pronunciation
IPA/poliʁ/
Meaning
- verbpolish
Example
Ils ont poli la table hier.
They polished the table yesterday.
More examples
Je dois polir ce texte avant de l'envoyer.
I have to polish this text before sending it.
Core concept
A rough surface being rubbed until it is smooth, shiny, or finely finished.
Common phrases
polir les chaussures
polish the shoes
polir un texte
polish a text
polir la table
polish the table
Similar words
frotter: To scrub something by applying pressure to remove dirt.
lustrer: To buff a surface with a cloth or tool until it shines.
cirer: To wax and rub shoes, furniture, or other surfaces until they shine.
Definition in French
Frotter ou travailler une surface pour la rendre lisse et brillante, et par extension affiner ou peaufiner quelque chose par des retouches.
Word origin
French polir comes from Latin polire, 'to polish', through Old French, and its physical sense extended to improving a work by careful finishing.
Usage tips
- In figurative uses, polir can take a direct object such as un texte or une présentation, while cirer is the more specific everyday verb for waxing shoes.