verb

peser

weigh

C’est déterminer combien quelque chose est lourd avec une balance.

The French verb "peser" primarily means "to weigh." It refers to measuring the weight of an object, person, or substance.

Meanings and uses:

Weighing (literal):
- Example: Je vais peser ce sac pour savoir combien il fait. (I’m going to weigh this bag to find out how much it weighs.)
Figurative sense of weighing or considering carefully:
- Example: Il faut bien peser le pour et le contre avant de décider. (You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding.)
To be heavy or to feel burdened:
- Used sometimes to denote something that has a psychological or physical weight. For example, La fatigue pèse sur lui (Fatigue weighs on him).

Synonyms and differences:

Mesurer: Means "to measure," but generally for dimensions (length, area, volume) rather than weight.
- Il faut mesurer la longueur, pas le poids. (We need to measure the length, not the weight.)
Jauger: Can mean “to gauge” or “to estimate,” sometimes informally to estimate weight or importance but less precise than "peser."
Soupeser: Means "to weigh carefully," often implies a more deliberate attempt or literal weighing, sometimes figuratively meaning to carefully consider something—similar to "peser."

In summary, "peser" is mainly about measuring weight but also used metaphorically for careful consideration or to express something being heavy or burdensome. It differs from "mesurer," which refers to measuring size or distance, and "jauger," which is more about estimation.