French Conversation · Level 53
75 words
French word
trahir
Pronunciation
IPA/tʁaiʁ/
Meaning
- verbbetray
Example
Il ne faut jamais trahir un ami.
You must never betray a friend.
More examples
Sa lettre a trahir ses doutes sur le projet.
His letter revealed his doubts about the project.
Core concept
Something hidden crossing a boundary and exposing a person, feeling, or fact.
Common phrases
trahir la confiance
betray someone's trust
trahir son engagement
break one's promise
Similar words
tromper: To mislead someone by concealing the truth and giving a false impression.
révéler: To disclose facts or information that were previously hidden.
mentir: To deceive someone by saying something that is not true.
dénoncer: To expose wrongdoing or secrets publicly, bringing punishment or blame.
Definition in French
Révéler ou laisser paraître quelque chose que l'on devait garder, ou manquer à la loyauté envers une personne par une parole ou une action.
Word origin
The Latin root tradere, 'to hand over,' passed into Old French traïr and gave French trahir both its betrayal sense and its sense of revealing something concealed.
Usage tips
- With a body part or sign as the subject, trahir often means 'reveal,' as in les yeux trahissent la fatigue, rather than 'betray' a person.