French Conversation · Level 61
71 words
French word
venger
Pronunciation
IPA/vɑ̃ʒe/
Meaning
- verbavenge
Example
Je veux venger mon frère.
I want to avenge my brother.
More examples
Elle veut se venger de lui.
She wants to take revenge on him.
Core concept
A wrong is treated like a debt that must be paid back to restore the injured person's standing.
Common phrases
se venger de quelqu'un
take revenge on ___
Similar words
se venger: To get revenge for a wrong committed against oneself.
punir: To impose a penalty for someone's actions.
riposter: To respond to an attack or accusation with a counterattack.
Definition in French
Infliger une peine en retour d'un tort subi, pour soi ou pour autrui.
Word origin
French venger comes through Old French vengier from Latin vindicare, a verb associated with claiming a right and exacting a penalty.
Usage tips
- French uses venger quelqu'un for avenging a person, but se venger de quelqu'un for taking revenge on someone, so the constructions differ.