/aʁ.sə.le/
Translation
to harass, to bully
Word origin
The origin is debated. Most accounts trace it to herser ('to harrow'), the repeated jabbing of a harrow's teeth giving the sense of a relentless, repeated attack.
- Origin
- Old French
- Root
- herser
Other proposed origins
- Some dictionaries instead treat it as a variant shaped by harasser ('to harass'), which is itself of disputed origin. (harasser)
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | harcèle | harcelais | harcelai | harcèlerai | harcèlerais |
| tu | harcèles | harcelais | harcelas | harcèleras | harcèlerais |
| il/elle | harcèle | harcelait | harcela | harcèlera | harcèlerait |
| nous | harcelons | harcelions | harcelâmes | harcèlerons | harcèlerions |
| vous | harcelez | harceliez | harcelâtes | harcèlerez | harcèleriez |
| ils/elles | harcèlent | harcelaient | harcelèrent | harcèleront | harcèleraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | harcèle | harcelasse |
| tu | harcèles | harcelasses |
| il/elle | harcèle | harcelât |
| nous | harcelions | harcelassions |
| vous | harceliez | harcelassiez |
| ils/elles | harcèlent | harcelassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | harcèle |
| nous | harcelons |
| vous | harcelez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- harcelant
- Past participle
- harcelé · harcelée · harcelés · harcelées
Examples
.
Some pupils harassed a classmate online.
incessants.
She is being harassed by constant phone calls.
sévèrement .
The law severely punishes those who harass their colleagues.
The h is aspirate: there is no elision and no liaison, so it is harcèlement never "l'harcèlement", and harceleurs is pronounced without linking the s across the word boundary. Treat harceler like haricot or hasard, not like homme.
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harceler: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "harceler" (to harass, to bully): 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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