French Conversation · Level 3
88 words
French word
tuer
Pronunciation
IPA/tɥe/
Meaning
- verbkill
Example
Je ne veux pas tuer cet insecte, je vais le remettre dehors.
I don't want to kill this insect; I'm going to put it back outside.
More examples
Pour ne pas s'ennuyer, il a regardé des vidéos pour tuer le temps.
To avoid getting bored, he watched videos to kill time.
Core concept
An action stops the life of a person, animal, or other living thing.
Common phrases
tuer le temps
kill time
tuer quelqu'un
kill someone
se tuer
kill oneself
Similar words
assassiner: Intentionally taking a person's life according to a plan.
abattre: Killing a person or animal by shooting, striking, or overpowering it.
massacrer: Killing numerous people or animals violently and in succession.
Definition in French
Mettre fin à la vie d'un être vivant par une action.
Word origin
Tuer is inherited from the Old French form tuer, first associated with striking or knocking down and subsequently narrowed to the ending of life.
Usage tips
- The verb also appears figuratively in tuer le temps, meaning to pass time, and ça tue, a colloquial expression for something very intense or impressive.