verb

mener

lead

C’est guider ou diriger quelqu’un ou quelque chose vers un but ou un endroit.

Definition & meaning

Mener is a common French verb meaning to lead, guide, take, conduct, or carry out, depending on context.

To lead or guide a person or group: Elle mène son équipe. — “She leads her team.”
To take or bring someone somewhere: Il mène les enfants à l’école. — “He takes the children to school.”
To conduct or carry out an activity, inquiry, or operation: mener une enquête — “to conduct an investigation.”
To lead to or result in something: Cette route mène à la gare. — “This road leads to the station.”
To lead or live a particular kind of life: mener une vie tranquille — “to lead a quiet life.”

The exact meaning depends on what is being led, taken, or carried out.

Grammar & Word origin

Mener is a regular infinitive ending in -er, but its stem changes in some forms: the e becomes è when the following ending has a silent e. For example: je mène (“I lead”), but nous menons (“we lead”). Its past participle is mené (“led,” “conducted,” or “taken”).

The verb comes from Vulgar Latin minare, meaning “to drive” or “urge onward,” especially of animals. In modern French, it is not made up of separate meaningful parts.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms vary with the sense:

conduire means “to lead,” “guide,” or “drive”; it often emphasizes directing someone along a route.
diriger means “to direct” or “manage,” with more emphasis on authority or control.
guider means “to guide,” emphasizing help or direction.
emmener means “to take someone along” to a place, with a stronger sense of accompanying them.
effectuer means “to carry out” or “perform,” and fits tasks or operations rather than leading people.

There is no single antonym for mener. In the sense of leading, suivre (“to follow”) can be an opposite: one person leads while another follows. For the sense of carrying out a task, the suitable opposite depends on the context.