French Conversation · Level 190
16 words
French word
repêcher
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁəpeʃe/
Meaning
- verbfish out
Example
Il faut repêcher le téléphone tombé dans l'eau.
We need to fish the phone out of the water.
More examples
Il a fallu plusieurs heures pour repêcher la voiture tombée dans le canal.
It took several hours to retrieve the car that fell into the canal.
Core concept
A hand or net pulls a person or object back out, from water or from a setback.
Common phrases
repêcher un téléphone tombé à l'eau
retrieve a phone that fell into the water
repêcher quelqu'un
rescue someone
Similar words
récupérer: To retrieve something that was dropped or left behind.
retirer: To remove something unwanted from a place or object.
ramasser: To pick up and gather things from the ground or floor.
Definition in French
Retirer ou ramener quelque chose ou quelqu'un hors de l'eau, ou récupérer quelqu'un/quelque chose qui avait été éliminé ou perdu.
Word origin
Repêcher combines the prefix re- with pêcher, which comes through Old French peschier from Latin piscari, 'to fish'.
Usage tips
- Repêcher takes a direct object, as in repêcher le téléphone, and can also mean selecting again someone previously eliminated.
Other meanings
- rescueverb
- pick upverb
Opposites
- abandonnerabandonverb