French Conversation · Level 136
30 words
French word
rôder
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁode/
Meaning
- verbwander around
Example
Il rôde souvent près des cafés le soir.
He often wanders around near cafes in the evening.
More examples
On pense qu'un inconnu rôde autour du quartier.
It is thought that a stranger prowls around the neighborhood.
Core concept
A person or animal making quiet, purposeless circuits near a place, sometimes hiding nearby.
Common phrases
rôde autour du quartier
prowls around the neighborhood
rôde près de chez moi
prowls near my home
rôde sans but
wanders without a purpose
Similar words
traîner: Loafing around or lingering somewhere without any particular reason.
errer: Wandering aimlessly from place to place.
fureter: Searching discreetly for objects or information.
Definition in French
Aller ou rester aux alentours d'un lieu sans but précis, souvent de façon discrète et parfois suspecte.
Word origin
Rôder comes from Old French roder, from Latin rotare, 'to turn', and developed from moving around to wandering around a place.
Usage tips
- Rôder is usually intransitive and commonly takes autour de, près de, or dans, as in rôder près des cafés.
Other meanings
- lurkverb
Opposites
- resterremainverb
- s'arrêtercome to a stopverb
Related words
- rôdeurprowlernoun