verb

retirer

take off · remove · withdraw

Prendre quelque chose et l’enlever d’un endroit ou d’une situation.

The French verb "retirer" means "to withdraw," "to take away," "to remove," or "to pull out." It is used when you want to express the action of taking something away from a place or a situation.

Meaning and uses:

To remove something physically:
Elle a retiré ses mains de la table. (She took her hands off the table.)
To withdraw or take money from a bank or ATM:
Il a retiré de l'argent à la banque. (He withdrew money from the bank.)
To retract or take back (words, statements, claims):
Il a retiré sa déclaration. (He retracted his statement.)
To take off clothing or accessories:
Je retire mon chapeau. (I take off my hat.)

Synonyms and differences:

Enlever: Also means "to remove" or "to take off," often focusing on physically taking something away or off. For example, enlever la poussière (to remove the dust).
Difference: "Enlever" is more neutral and less about returning something to its original place or status.
Retirer: Includes the nuance of pulling out or withdrawing something, sometimes implying returning it to somewhere else (e.g., money withdrawn from a bank, or something taken out from a place).
Ôter: A bit more formal or literary synonym for "to remove" or "to take off." Often used for objects, clothes, or obstacles.

Summary:

"Retirer" focuses on the action of pulling out or taking something away, often implying withdrawal or removal.
Use "enlever" when talking about physically removing something without the connotation of withdrawal or return.
Use "ôter" in a more formal or literary context to mean "to remove."