nounnounadjectiveverbverb

le tendre

set · tighten · reach · listen carefully · extend · tender · stretch

C’est quand quelque chose est doux ou facile à toucher, ou quand une personne montre de l’affection et de la gentillesse.

Definition & meaning

Tendre has several meanings, depending on whether it is used as an adjective or a verb.

As an adjective, it can mean tender, soft, or delicate: something that yields easily to touch or is not tough.
It can describe a person or manner as gentle, affectionate, or loving.
For colors or light, it can mean soft, pale, or delicate.
In expressions about age, it can mean young or inexperienced.

As a verb, tendre can mean:

to stretch, extend, or make taut something, such as a rope or fabric;
to hold out or offer something, especially a hand;
to set or lay something, such as a trap;
to aim or direct something toward a target;
with à, to tend toward or to be inclined to do something.

As a noun, le tendre can refer to a soft or tender part, especially of food, or, more rarely, to tenderness as a quality or sentiment.

Grammar & Word origin

As an adjective, tendre has the same form for masculine and feminine singular. Its plural form is tendres. It generally comes after the noun, though some familiar expressions place it before.

As a verb, tendre is a regular verb in -re. Its past participle is tendu. It is commonly used with a direct object, but can also appear in constructions such as tendre à (“to tend toward”) and se tendre (“to become taut” or “to tense up”).

The adjective and verb descend from Latin tener, meaning “soft” or “delicate.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms depend on the sense:

doux means “soft” or “gentle”; it is broader and can describe things such as weather, sound, or taste.
affectueux means “affectionate” and emphasizes warmth toward someone.
délicat means “delicate” or “subtle,” rather than necessarily loving.
For the verb meaning “to stretch,” étirer means “to stretch out,” while étendre often means “to spread” or “to extend.”
For “to hold out,” présenter means “to present,” and offrir means “to offer.”

Antonyms also depend on the sense:

dur means “hard” or “tough,” the opposite of soft or tender.
rude means “rough” or “harsh,” contrasting with a gentle manner.
cruel means “cruel,” opposing the affectionate sense.
For the verb, replier (“to fold back”) and retirer (“to withdraw”) can contrast with extending or holding something out.