résister
résister 30초 만에
- Résister means to withstand or oppose a force, whether physical, emotional, or political.
- It is almost always followed by the preposition 'à' (e.g., résister à la tentation).
- It is a regular -er verb, making it easy to conjugate in all tenses.
- It can describe everything from water-resistant watches to political defiance.
The French verb résister is a fundamental pillar of the language, primarily signifying the act of standing firm against a force, influence, or pressure. At its core, it describes the physical or psychological capacity to remain unchanged or unyielding when faced with external stressors. Whether you are talking about a material that doesn't break under pressure or a person who refuses to give in to temptation, résister is the go-to term. In the context of physics, it refers to the property of a substance to withstand heat, cold, or mechanical stress. In a human context, it often implies a moral or emotional strength.
- Physical Resistance
- The ability of an object to maintain its integrity against physical forces like friction or pressure.
- Psychological Fortitude
- The mental strength to say 'no' to desires, peer pressure, or emotional burdens.
- Political Defiance
- The act of opposing an authority, a regime, or an invading force, famously associated with the French Resistance.
Il est difficile de résister à l'appel du chocolat tard le soir.
Understanding résister requires recognizing its grammatical partner: the preposition à. Unlike the English 'to resist something' (direct object), the French version is almost always 'résister à quelque chose' (indirect object). This nuance is vital for learners to master early on. The word carries a weight of endurance; it is not just about a momentary refusal but often about a sustained effort to hold a position. It suggests a dynamic struggle where two forces meet—one pushing, and the other holding steady.
Ce métal peut résister à des températures extrêmes.
- Durability
- How long a product lasts before wearing out.
- Immunity
- The biological capacity to fight off viruses or bacteria.
Historically, the word has deep roots in the concept of 'standing back' or 'standing against.' This sense of 'standing' is crucial. It is a stationary action that requires energy. Think of a dam resisting the flow of water; the dam doesn't move, but it is working hard. This is the essence of résister. It is an active state of non-movement or non-compliance. In modern French, it is used frequently in advertising (water-resistant watches) and in social movements (resisting change or resisting injustice).
Nous devons résister à la tentation de simplifier les problèmes complexes.
Using résister correctly involves understanding its syntactic structure and the various contexts in which it appears. As a regular '-er' verb, its conjugation is straightforward, following the pattern of aimer or parler. However, the complexity lies in the prepositional usage. In 90% of cases, you will use résister à. This 'à' will contract with articles: résister au (à + le), résister aux (à + les), or stay as résister à la / résister à l'.
- With Nouns
- Je résiste à la tentation. (I resist the temptation.)
- With Pronouns
- Je lui résiste. (I resist him/her/it.) Note the use of 'lui' as an indirect object pronoun.
- Absolute Use
- Il ne peut pas résister. (He cannot resist.) Used when the object is implied.
When discussing physical objects, résister is often paired with nouns like pression, chaleur, froid, usure (wear and tear). In these cases, it functions as a technical descriptor. For example, 'Cette montre résiste à l'eau' (This watch is water-resistant). Notice that French uses the verb where English might use an adjective ending in '-resistant'. This makes the verb very versatile in descriptive writing and technical documentation.
Elle n'a pas pu résister à l'envie de lui dire la vérité.
In a more abstract or professional sense, résister is used to describe the durability of an argument or a theory. 'Cette théorie ne résiste pas à l'analyse' means the theory falls apart when analyzed. This usage is common in academic and critical discourse. It implies that the subject lacks the 'substance' to withstand scrutiny. When you use it this way, you are moving from physical resistance to logical or structural integrity.
Les troupes ont résisté à l'attaque pendant trois jours.
- Imperative Form
- Résiste ! (Resist!) Often used in slogans or motivational contexts.
- Negative Construction
- Ne pas résister à... (To give in to...). Often used for desires.
You will encounter résister in a vast array of settings, from the mundane to the heroic. In daily life, it is most frequently heard in the context of food and shopping. French culture places a high value on 'la gourmandise', so you will often hear people say they couldn't resist a pastry or a sale. In these contexts, the tone is usually lighthearted and slightly self-deprecating. It's a way of admitting a small weakness that is socially acceptable.
J'ai essayé de ne pas acheter ces chaussures, mais je n'ai pas pu résister.
In the news and political spheres, the word takes on a much more serious weight. It is used to describe social movements, strikes, and opposition to government reforms. The French have a long history of social 'résistance', and the word is deeply embedded in their national identity. When a union 'résiste' to a change in labor laws, it implies a collective effort to maintain existing rights. You will see this in headlines like 'Les étudiants résistent à la réforme'.
- Advertising
- 'Résiste aux chocs' (Shock-resistant) is a common label on electronics and watches.
- Medical Context
- 'Résister à une infection' or 'bactéries qui résistent aux antibiotiques'.
- Cinema & Literature
- Characters who 'résistent' to the villain or to their own destiny.
In scientific and technical fields, résister is used to describe the properties of materials. If you are watching a documentary about engineering or architecture, you will hear about materials that 'résistent' to earthquakes or high winds. This technical usage is precise and objective. It focuses on the limits of endurance. Similarly, in biology, it describes how organisms survive in harsh environments, such as plants that 'résistent' to drought.
Le vieux chêne a résisté à la tempête alors que les autres arbres sont tombés.
The most frequent mistake English speakers make when using résister is omitting the preposition à. In English, we say 'I resisted the temptation.' In French, you MUST say 'J'ai résisté à la tentation.' Forgetting this 'à' is a hallmark of a beginner level. It changes the structure of the sentence and, in some cases, can make the sentence sound incomplete or grammatically 'broken' to a native ear.
- Incorrect
- *Je résiste le chocolat.
- Correct
- Je résiste au chocolat.
Another common error is confusing résister with endurer or supporter. While they all deal with hardship, they are not interchangeable. Résister implies an active opposition or a structural strength that prevents change. Endurer and supporter imply a passive suffering or tolerance of something unpleasant. You 'résister' an enemy, but you 'endurer' a long wait or 'supporter' a noisy neighbor.
Attention : On ne dit pas 'résister de', mais toujours 'résister à'.
Learners also struggle with the placement of indirect object pronouns. Because résister à takes an indirect object, you must use lui (to him/her) or leur (to them). Many students mistakenly use le or la. For example, to say 'I resist her,' you say 'Je lui résiste,' not 'Je la résiste.' This is a subtle point of grammar that separates intermediate learners from advanced ones.
Finally, avoid overusing résister in contexts where refuser is more appropriate. Résister implies a force is being applied to you. If someone offers you a cigarette and you simply say no, refuser is better. If they keep insisting and you are struggling to say no, then résister becomes the correct choice. It's about the presence of pressure.
To truly master résister, it helps to understand its synonyms and related terms, as each carries a slightly different flavor. The most direct synonym is often tenir bon (to hold fast/hold out). While résister is a formal verb, tenir bon is an idiomatic expression used frequently in spoken French to encourage someone to stay strong during a difficult time.
- Tenir bon
- To hold one's ground; more colloquial and focused on the effort of staying firm.
- S'opposer à
- To oppose; implies a more active, confrontational stance or a formal objection.
- Faire face à
- To face up to; focuses on the confrontation with a problem or enemy.
Il faut tenir bon face à l'adversité, c'est une forme de résistance.
In technical contexts, you might encounter supporter. While we mentioned it as a mistake earlier, in the context of weight or load, it is a close relative. A bridge 'supporte' a load, but it 'résiste' to the wind. The difference is that supporter is about carrying, while résister is about not being moved or damaged. Another related word is braver, which means to defy or face something with courage, often used in literary contexts like 'braver la tempête'.
For the psychological aspect of resisting temptation, you might use lutter contre (to fight against). 'Lutter contre la tentation' is more intense than 'résister à la tentation'. It suggests a more active, internal battle. If you want to describe someone who is very stubborn and resists all advice, you might call them obstiné or say they s'entêtent. Understanding these nuances allows you to choose the word that perfectly fits the level of intensity you want to convey.
Elle s'oppose au projet, mais elle ne pourra pas résister longtemps à la pression du groupe.
How Formal Is It?
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발음 가이드
난이도
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수준별 예문
Je résiste au chocolat.
I resist the chocolate.
Uses 'au' (à + le).
Il résiste au froid.
He resists the cold.
Present tense, 3rd person singular.
Tu ne peux pas résister ?
You can't resist?
Question with 'ne...pas'.
Nous résistons ensemble.
We resist together.
Present tense, 1st person plural.
Elle résiste à la fatigue.
She resists the fatigue.
Uses 'à la'.
Le jouet résiste aux chocs.
The toy resists shocks.
Uses 'aux' (à + les).
Ils résistent à la pluie.
They resist the rain.
Present tense, 3rd person plural.
Je veux résister.
I want to resist.
Infinitive after 'vouloir'.
J'ai résisté à l'envie de dormir.
I resisted the urge to sleep.
Passé composé with 'avoir'.
Cette montre résiste à l'eau.
This watch is water-resistant.
Common technical usage.
Il ne lui résiste jamais.
He never resists her.
Use of indirect object pronoun 'lui'.
Nous avons résisté pendant une heure.
We resisted for an hour.
Duration with 'pendant'.
Elle a résisté à ses amis.
She resisted her friends.
Social pressure context.
Vous devez résister à la tentation.
You must resist temptation.
Modal verb 'devoir' + infinitive.
Le mur a résisté au vent.
The wall resisted the wind.
Physical resistance.
Ils n'ont pas pu résister au gâteau.
They couldn't resist the cake.
Negative passé composé of 'pouvoir'.
Les bactéries résistent aux antibiotiques.
The bacteria resist antibiotics.
Scientific/Medical context.
Il faut résister à la pression sociale.
One must resist social pressure.
Impersonal 'il faut'.
Elle résistera si elle est courageuse.
She will resist if she is brave.
Future tense.
Nous y avons résisté sans problème.
We resisted it without any problem.
Use of 'y' to replace 'à + thing'.
Ce matériau résiste bien à la chaleur.
This material resists heat well.
Adverb 'bien' placement.
Le maire résiste au changement de loi.
The mayor resists the change in law.
Political context.
Je ne pourrais pas lui résister.
I wouldn't be able to resist him/her.
Conditional mood.
Ils ont résisté à l'oppression.
They resisted the oppression.
Abstract noun 'oppression'.
L'économie résiste malgré la crise.
The economy is holding up despite the crisis.
Abstract economic context.
Il est crucial que nous résistions.
It is crucial that we resist.
Subjunctive mood after 'il est crucial que'.
Cette théorie ne résiste pas à l'examen.
This theory doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
Metaphorical use for logic.
Elle a su résister aux provocations.
She knew how to resist the provocations.
Verb 'savoir' used for ability.
Les troupes ont résisté à l'assaut.
The troops resisted the assault.
Military context.
Rien ne semble résister à son charme.
Nothing seems to resist his/her charm.
Idiomatic expression.
Nous résistons à l'influence des médias.
We resist the influence of the media.
Social critique context.
Le vieux pont résiste encore au temps.
The old bridge still resists time.
Poetic/Metaphorical use of 'le temps'.
L'œuvre résiste à toute interprétation unique.
The work resists any single interpretation.
Literary criticism context.
Il a résisté stoïquement à la douleur.
He stoically resisted the pain.
Use of adverb 'stoïquement'.
Le système résiste aux tentatives de réforme.
The system resists reform attempts.
Institutional context.
Bien qu'il soit vieux, son esprit résiste.
Although he is old, his mind holds out.
Conjunction 'bien que' + subjunctive.
La structure doit résister à des vents cycloniques.
The structure must withstand cyclonic winds.
Technical engineering specification.
Elle résiste à l'idée même de soumission.
She resists the very idea of submission.
Philosophical/Psychological depth.
Leurs traditions résistent à la mondialisation.
Their traditions resist globalization.
Sociological context.
Il ne put résister à l'ironie du sort.
He could not resist the irony of fate.
Passé simple (literary tense).
La matière résiste à la pensée.
Matter resists thought.
Philosophical abstraction.
Son silence résistait à toutes les questions.
His silence resisted all questions.
Metaphorical resistance.
Le texte résiste par son opacité même.
The text resists through its very opacity.
Advanced literary analysis.
Il s'agit de résister à l'entropie croissante.
It is a matter of resisting increasing entropy.
Scientific/Philosophical context.
Elle résiste au néant par la création.
She resists nothingness through creation.
Existentialist tone.
La cité résista au siège pendant dix ans.
The city resisted the siege for ten years.
Historical/Epic register.
Rien ne résiste à la marche inexorable du progrès.
Nothing resists the inexorable march of progress.
Rhetorical/Formal style.
Il faut que le cœur résiste aux assauts de l'âge.
The heart must resist the assaults of age.
Poetic subjunctive.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
Je ne peux pas résister.
Il faut résister.
Résister à tout prix.
Difficile de résister.
Apprendre à résister.
Résister à l'autorité.
Résister au sommeil.
Résister à la douleur.
Résister aux critiques.
Résister à l'invasion.
자주 혼동되는 단어
Endurer is passive (suffering), résister is active (opposing).
Supporter is to tolerate or carry weight; résister is to not break/change.
Refuser is a simple 'no'; résister implies pressure was applied.
관용어 및 표현
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혼동하기 쉬운
문장 패턴
사용법
When used with people, it often implies a romantic or persuasive dynamic.
Always 'à' for the object of resistance.
- Omitting the 'à' (e.g., *Je résiste la tentation).
- Using 'le/la' instead of 'lui' for people.
- Confusing it with 'supporter' (to tolerate).
- Using 'résister de' instead of 'résister à'.
- Mispronouncing the 's' as 'ss' instead of 'z'.
팁
The 'À' Rule
Always remember the 'à'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Word Family
Learn 'résistance' and 'résistant' at the same time to triple your vocabulary.
Natural Flow
Say 'Je n'ai pas pu résister' instead of just 'Je n'ai pas résisté' to sound more like a native.
Historical Weight
Be aware that 'résister' can sound very heroic in French because of WWII history.
Logical Scrutiny
Use 'résister à l'analyse' when writing essays to critique an idea.
Song Lyrics
Listen to the song 'Résiste' by France Gall to hear the imperative form in action.
Visual Cue
Imagine a shield. A shield 'résiste' to an arrow.
Temptation
Use it when talking about diets or shopping to add a bit of drama to your French.
Soft 'S'
The 's' in 'résister' is pronounced like a 'z' because it is between two vowels.
Subjunctive
Practice 'Il faut que je résiste' to master the subjunctive mood.
암기하기
어원
Latin 'resistere'
문화적 맥락
The French Resistance (1940-1944).
France Gall's song 'Résiste' is a cult classic about staying true to oneself.
Albert Camus and the concept of 'L'Homme révolté' (The Rebel).
실생활에서 연습하기
실제 사용 상황
대화 시작하기
"À quoi ne peux-tu pas résister ?"
"Est-il facile de résister à la tentation ?"
"Comment résister au stress au travail ?"
"Les Français aiment-ils résister au gouvernement ?"
"Quel matériau résiste le mieux au feu ?"
일기 주제
Décrivez une fois où vous avez résisté à une tentation.
Pourquoi est-il important de résister à l'injustice ?
Si vous étiez un matériau, à quoi résisteriez-vous ?
Le silence est-il une forme de résistance ?
Comment la technologie nous aide-t-elle à résister aux maladies ?
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문No, you must say 'Je résiste AU chocolat'. The verb 'résister' always requires the preposition 'à' in French.
No, it is used for emotions, temptations, political ideas, and logical arguments as well.
Résister is about holding your ground, while s'opposer is more about actively fighting or speaking against something.
You can say 'résistant à l'eau' (adjective) or 'qui résiste à l'eau' (verb phrase).
Yes, it is a regular -er verb, which makes it very easy to conjugate.
Yes, 'Elle lui résiste' often means she is not giving in to his romantic advances.
It means to stubbornly refuse to do something or to delay a process on purpose.
99% of the time it is 'résister à'. 'Résister contre' is rare and usually found in older or very specific legal/military texts.
Use 'y'. For example: 'La tentation est forte, mais j'y résiste'.
The most common opposite is 'céder' (to give in) or 'succomber' (to succumb).
셀프 테스트 180 질문
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The core of 'résister' is the strength to remain unchanged. Whether you're fighting a virus, a regime, or a craving for sweets, you are using your internal or structural power to say 'no' to change or influence.
- Résister means to withstand or oppose a force, whether physical, emotional, or political.
- It is almost always followed by the preposition 'à' (e.g., résister à la tentation).
- It is a regular -er verb, making it easy to conjugate in all tenses.
- It can describe everything from water-resistant watches to political defiance.
The 'À' Rule
Always remember the 'à'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Word Family
Learn 'résistance' and 'résistant' at the same time to triple your vocabulary.
Natural Flow
Say 'Je n'ai pas pu résister' instead of just 'Je n'ai pas résisté' to sound more like a native.
Historical Weight
Be aware that 'résister' can sound very heroic in French because of WWII history.
관련 콘텐츠
관련 문법 규칙
weather 관련 단어
abondant
B1Abundant; plentiful, e.g., heavy rain or snow.
annuel
A2Occurring once every year; annual.
approcher
A1누군가나 무언가에 가까이 가다. 공간적 또는 시간적 거리를 줄이다.
aube
B1The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.
aurore
B1The time in the morning when twilight first appears; dawn.
averse
A1A brief, heavy fall of rain or snow; shower.
bise
C1A cold, dry north or northeast wind.
bourrasque
B1A sudden, brief gust of wind or squall.
brièvement
B1For a short time; briefly.
brise
A1A gentle wind.