verb

répondre

answer · respond · reply

Donner une réaction ou une information après qu’une question ou une demande a été faite.

Word: répondre

Meaning:
The French verb "répondre" means "to answer" or "to reply." It is a regular -re verb commonly used in both spoken and written French.

Parts of the word:

  • Prefix "ré-": Often means "again" or "back."
  • Root "pondre": Comes from Latin pendere (meaning "to weigh"), but in modern French "pondre" itself primarily means "to lay (an egg)." In "répondre," it does not retain that meaning directly but forms the root of the verb indicating a response.

Usage:

  • To respond verbally or in writing to a question or request.
  • To fit or correspond to something (as in "This answer corresponds to the question").

Examples:

  • Je vais répondre à ta question. — I am going to answer your question.
  • Elle n'a pas répondu au téléphone. — She did not answer the phone.

Synonyms:

  • répliquer (to reply, to retort)
  • réagir (to react) — in some contexts, though it's broader
  • rétorquer (to retort)

Antonyms:

  • ignorer (to ignore)
  • taire (to keep silent)

Additional meanings:

  • In a technical or formal context, "répondre" can mean "to correspond" or "to meet the expectations." For example, "Cette solution ne répond pas aux exigences" means "This solution does not meet the requirements."

In summary, "répondre" is a versatile verb primarily meaning "to answer" or "to reply," used in multiple contexts where communication or response is involved.

Make “répondre” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Examples

Peux-tu répondre à ma question ?verb

Can you answer my question?

Marie veut répondre à cet e-mail.verb

Marie wants to respond to this email.

Marie a répondu à cet e-mail.verb

Marie replied to this email.

Keep exploring French

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).