Translation
to sting, to prick; to jab; to nick, to pinch (steal)
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Word origin
From Vulgar Latin piccare ('to strike with a point'), of imitative origin, built on the root pikk- for a sharp blow. English 'pique' and 'piquant' were borrowed from the same French verb.
- Origin
- Vulgar Latin
- Root
- piccare
- English cognates
- pique, piquant
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | pique | piquais | piquai | piquerai | piquerais |
| tu | piques | piquais | piquas | piqueras | piquerais |
| il/elle | pique | piquait | piqua | piquera | piquerait |
| nous | piquons | piquions | piquâmes | piquerons | piquerions |
| vous | piquez | piquiez | piquâtes | piquerez | piqueriez |
| ils/elles | piquent | piquaient | piquèrent | piqueront | piqueraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | pique | piquasse |
| tu | piques | piquasses |
| il/elle | pique | piquât |
| nous | piquions | piquassions |
| vous | piquiez | piquassiez |
| ils/elles | piquent | piquassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | pique |
| nous | piquons |
| vous | piquez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- piquant
- Past participle
- piqué · piquée · piqués · piquées
Examples
.
A bee stung me on the arm during the picnic.
, épines rosier .
Be careful, the thorns on this rose bush are prickly.
.
The nurse jabbed my arm for the blood test.
.
Someone nicked my umbrella on the train.
.
This sauce is a bit too hot for the children.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
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French · Free printables
piquer: worksheet, infographic and listicleThe padlock and Plus mark show a Kilo Lingo Plus feature. Start your free week to unlock it - no card needed.
Free printable study downloads for the French word "piquer" (to sting, to prick; to jab; to nick, to pinch (steal)): 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 18, lesson 6: piquer, ranger, navrer and 7 more words.