verbverb

battre

beat · fight

C’est faire des mouvements rapides pour mélanger ou frapper quelque chose, ou gagner contre quelqu’un dans un jeu ou un combat.

Word: battre

Language: French

Meaning:

The French verb battre primarily means "to beat" or "to strike."

Explanation:

To physically hit or strike something:
- Example: Il a battu le tapis. → "He beat the carpet."
To defeat or win against someone or something:
- Example: L'équipe a battu ses adversaires. → "The team defeated its opponents."
To whip or beat eggs (culinary usage):
- Example: battre des oeufs en neige → "to beat egg whites (until stiff)."
To pulsate or throb (used with a heart):
- Example: Le cœur bat vite. → "The heart beats fast."

Parts of the verb:

Infinitive: battre
Conjugation: A regular -re verb with some irregularities; its past participle is battu.

Synonyms:

Frappêr (to strike) when referring to hitting.
vaincre or gagner when used in the sense of defeating.
Fouetter when referencing whipping in cooking.

Antonyms:

Perdre (to lose) in the sense of competition or defeat.
Caresser or toucher doucement (to stroke or touch gently) as an opposite of hitting.

Summary:

Battre is a versatile French verb primarily meaning to hit or to strike, used in physical contexts as well as metaphorical ones such as winning a competition or the beating of a heart. It also appears frequently in cooking and sporting contexts.