French Conversation · Level 83
60 words
French word
référer
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁefeʁe/
Meaning
- verbrefer
Example
Le médecin réfère le patient à un spécialiste.
The doctor refers the patient to a specialist.
More examples
Le service social réfère souvent les dossiers complexes à un spécialiste.
The social services department often refers complex cases to a specialist.
Core concept
A person, case, or request passed along to the specialist or service equipped to handle it.
Common phrases
se référer à
refer to
référer quelqu'un à un spécialiste
refer someone to a specialist
Similar words
envoyer: Send a person or object to another place or recipient.
orienter: Direct someone toward the right place or contact.
adresser: Send a message or document to a specific person or organization.
guider: Guide someone to a destination or through the proper procedure.
Definition in French
Envoyer ou adresser une personne, un cas ou une demande vers une autre personne ou structure mieux adaptée pour s'en occuper.
Word origin
French référer is a learned borrowing from Latin referre, from re- 'back' and ferre 'carry', whose earlier senses included carrying back and reporting before extending to directing a case elsewhere.
Usage tips
- The verb has a formal or institutional tone, while envoyer or orienter is often more natural in everyday French.
Other meanings
- refer to ___verb
- mentionverb
Related words
- référencereferencenoun
- référencéreferencedadjective