nounverb

le baiser

kiss

C'est un geste où deux personnes posent leurs lèvres l'une sur l'autre pour montrer de l'affection ou de l'amour.

Baiser has two main uses, and its meaning depends strongly on grammar and context:

As a noun, un baiser means a kiss. This use can sound literary or poetic; in everyday speech, French speakers more often use un bisou .
As a verb, baiser traditionally means to kiss, but this sense is now dated or literary. In modern French, the verb is generally vulgar slang meaning “to have sex with” or “to fuck.” For the ordinary, non-vulgar meaning “to kiss,” use embrasser .

Because of its sexual meaning, using the verb casually can cause offense or embarrassment.

Noun: masculine — un baiser; plural des baisers.
Verb: regular first-group verb ending in -er. In its vulgar sexual sense, it is generally transitive: baiser quelqu’un means “to have sex with someone.”
The word comes from Latin basiare, meaning “to kiss.”

For “a kiss”: bisou is familiar and affectionate, while baiser as a noun can sound more literary.
For “to kiss”: embrasser is the standard everyday verb and avoids the vulgar sexual meaning.
For the vulgar sexual sense: coucher avec is a less crude expression meaning “to sleep with.” Faire l’amour is more euphemistic and usually implies lovemaking.
There is no direct antonym. Depending on context, repousser (“to reject” or “push away”) can contrast with kissing or sexual activity.

un baiser sur la joue — a kiss on the cheek.
un baiser passionné — a passionate kiss.
baiser quelqu’un — vulgar: to have sex with someone.
se faire baiser — vulgar: to get screwed; figuratively, to get cheated or taken advantage of.

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Le baiser était très doux et plein d’amour.noun

The kiss was very gentle and full of love.

Ils ont échangé plusieurs baisers sous la pluie.noun

They exchanged several kisses in the rain.

Ce baiser était doux et sincère.noun

This kiss was sweet and sincere.

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