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verb

bachoter

cram

Definition & meaning

Bachoter is an informal French verb meaning to cram, to swot, or to study intensively—often mechanically—for an exam.

It usually suggests studying a large amount of material in a short time, with an emphasis on memorization rather than deep understanding.

  • Je bachote pour mes examens. — “I’m cramming for my exams.”
  • Il a bachoté tout le week-end. — “He spent the whole weekend cramming.”

Grammar & Word origin

  • Part of speech: verb
  • Verb group: regular first-group verb ending in -er
  • Typical construction: bachoter pour un examen — “to cram for an exam”
  • Register: informal

The word comes from le bac , the informal name for le baccalauréat , the French secondary-school leaving examination. The ending -oter adds a repetitive or somewhat pejorative nuance, suggesting intensive, possibly mechanical activity.

Related noun:

  • le bachotage — cramming

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • réviser — to revise or review; neutral and broader than bachoter
  • potasser — to study hard or work intensively; informal, but not necessarily limited to exam cramming
  • bûcher — to work or study very hard; informal and often emphasizes effort
  • apprendre par cœur — to memorize by heart; focuses specifically on memorization

Antonyms

There is no exact single antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:

  • négliger ses études — to neglect one’s studies
  • se détendre — to relax instead of studying
  • sécher les cours — to skip classes; this is an opposite behavior, though not a direct lexical antonym

Common phrases & collocations

  • bachoter pour un examen — to cram for an exam
  • bachoter toute la nuit — to cram all night
  • bachoter ses cours — to cram one’s lessons
  • faire du bachotage — to engage in rote exam cramming

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Examples

Elle bachote avant son examen important.verb

She crams before her important exam.

Ils bachotaient chaque soir malgré la fatigue.verb

They crammed every evening despite their fatigue.

Nous avons bachoté sans vraiment comprendre le cours.verb

We crammed without really understanding the course.

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