Translation
to beat, to hit
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Word origin
From Vulgar Latin battere, a reshaping of Classical Latin battuere ('to beat, to strike'). The same root gave English 'battle' and 'batter'.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- battuere
- English cognates
- battle, batter, combat
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | bats | battais | battis | battrai | battrais |
| tu | bats | battais | battis | battras | battrais |
| il/elle | bat | battait | battit | battra | battrait |
| nous | battons | battions | battîmes | battrons | battrions |
| vous | battez | battiez | battîtes | battrez | battriez |
| ils/elles | battent | battaient | battirent | battront | battraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | batte | battisse |
| tu | battes | battisses |
| il/elle | batte | battît |
| nous | battions | battissions |
| vous | battiez | battissiez |
| ils/elles | battent | battissent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | bats |
| nous | battons |
| vous | battez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- battant
- Past participle
- battu · battue · battus · battues
Examples
.
Our team beat the opposition three goals to one.
.
The heart beats faster when you are stressed.
.
He fights to defend his ideas.
.
You need to beat the cream well before serving it.
.
The wind was banging against the window all night.
.
My team managed to beat theirs yesterday.
.
My heart starts to beat faster when I run.
est un verbe irrégulier du troisième groupe. Battre signifie frapper, vaincre, ou pulser rythmiquement. Se battre (to fight) est la forme pronominale réciproque : ils se battent (they are fighting). Se battre pour + infinitif signifie lutter pour une cause.
Battre un record (to break a record), battre des mains (to clap), battre en retraite (to retreat) sont des collocations essentielles. Coeur qui bat (beating heart) est une image poétique fréquente. Battre froid à quelqu'un signifie l'accueillir avec froideur.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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French · Free printables
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Free printable study downloads for the French word "battre" (to beat, to hit): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 6, lesson 9: battre, chef, jeu and 7 more words.