hausser

The French verb "hausser" means to raise, to lift, or to increase something. It is a transitive verb, often used when describing the action of making something go higher or increasing a level, quantity, or intensity.

Examples of use:

• Hausser les épaules — to shrug one's shoulders (lift/shrug).
• Hausser les prix — to raise prices.
• Hausser la voix — to raise one's voice.

Synonyms and differences:

• Élever: Also means "to raise" or "to lift," but often used for raising people, animals, children or abstract things like buildings, levels, or spirits (élever un enfant, élever un bâtiment).
• Augmenter: Specifically means "to increase" and is commonly used with quantities, amounts, numbers, prices, or volume (augmenter le prix, augmenter la température).
• Lever: Focuses more on the physical act of lifting or raising something upwards (lever la main, lever une boîte).

Hausser has a nuance of slightly raising or lifting, sometimes temporarily or less physically than "lever." It's often more figurative in nature—raising voice, shoulders, price—but can also be physical.

In short:

• Use hausser for minor or figurative raising/increasing.
• Use augmenter for quantitative growth.
• Use élever for raising living beings or levels.
• Use lever for physically lifting objects.