French Conversation · Level 13
89 words
French word
tirer
Pronunciation
IPA/tiʁe/
Meaning
- verbpull
Example
Ne tire pas la porte, pousse-la.
Do not pull the door; push it.
More examples
Pour sortir, tu dois tirer la porte.
To get out, you have to pull the door.
Core concept
A person changes an object's position by drawing it inward with the hands or a connected rope.
Common phrases
tirer la porte
pull the door
tirer une chaise
pull out a chair
tirer la chasse
flush the toilet
Similar words
pousser: Push an object away using the hands or body.
ouvrir: Move a closed door or container into an open position.
fermer: Move an open door or container into a closed position.
glisser: Slide an object across a surface to change its position.
Definition in French
Exercer une force pour rapprocher ou déplacer quelque chose vers soi, par exemple tirer une corde ou tirer une porte.
Word origin
French tirer developed from Old French tirer and Late Latin tirare, which is associated with Latin trahere, meaning to draw or pull.
Usage tips
- Tirer is pronounced roughly tee-ray, so its final -er sounds like the vowel in English say rather than like English tire.