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caresser
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., acheter).
a. to stroke
Mathieu caressait les cheveux de Colin tout en lui lisant une histoire.Mathieu was stroking Colin's hair while reading him a story.
b. to caress
Le vieil homme caressa le tronc d’arbre comme s’il s’agissait d’un vieil ami.The old man caressed the tree trunk as if it were an old friend.
c. to pet
Demande à la dame si elle veut bien que tu caresses son chien.Ask the lady if it's okay for you to pet her dog.
d. to fondle
Érika caressait machinalement son collier en écoutant son interlocuteur.Érika absentmindedly fondled her necklace as she listened to the person she was talking to.
3. (figurative) (to contemplate)
A phrase used as a figure of speech or a word that is symbolic in meaning (e.g., to pull someone's leg).
a. to cherish
Adolescent, Camille caressait l’espoir de vivre de sa peinture.As a teenager, Camille cherished the hope of making a living from his painting.
b. to toy with
Tu comptais vraiment démissionner ? - Disons que j’ai caressé l’idée.Did you really think about quitting? - Let’s just say I toyed with the idea.
Conjugations
Indicative of "caresser"
Present | Imperfect | Past Historic | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | ||||
| tu | ||||
| il/elle | ||||
| nous | ||||
| vous | ||||
| ils/elles |
Collins French Verb Conjugation Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2023
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