French Conversation · Level 28
89 words
French word
presser
Pronunciation
IPA/pʁese/
Meaning
- verbpress
Example
Je presse le bouton.
I press the button.
More examples
Il a pressé son ami de partir.
He urged his friend to leave.
Core concept
Pressure applied to a thing or a person, making matter yield or action happen sooner.
Common phrases
se presser
hurry
presser quelqu'un
hurry someone
presser le pas
quicken one's pace
Similar words
appuyer: To push down or against something with a finger or tool.
pousser: To move something forward by applying force with the body or hands.
serrer: To hold something tightly and squeeze it firmly.
se dépêcher: To hurry while doing something.
Definition in French
Exercer une pression, physique ou morale, pour obtenir un effet : comprimer, extraire ou inciter à se hâter.
Word origin
French presser comes from Latin pressare, a frequentative form of premere, 'to press', and developed from physical pressure toward extraction and urging.
Usage tips
- With a person as object, presser can sound forceful, while se presser means to hurry and is often the natural form for hurrying oneself.