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A1 verb 11分钟阅读

paître

开始练习例句笔记与提示 paître 30秒了解

解析 paître in your Level:

At the A1 level, you only need to know that 'paître' is a special word for when animals like cows or sheep eat grass in a field. You can think of it as 'animal eating' in a meadow. Usually, you will see it in the form 'paissent' (they graze) when talking about several animals. Example: 'Les vaches paissent' (The cows are grazing). It is a good word to learn when you study farm animals. Don't worry about the hard parts of the verb yet; just remember it means 'to graze'.

At A2, you should start recognizing 'paître' in simple stories or descriptions of the countryside. You might notice the circumflex accent (the little 'hat') on the 'i' in 'il paît'. This level is where you learn that French has specific verbs for specific actions; 'manger' is for everyone, but 'paître' is specifically for herbivores in a pasture. You might also encounter the phrase 'envoyer paître quelqu'un' in a very simple context, meaning to tell someone to go away.

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By B1, you should be able to use 'paître' in your own descriptions of nature or travel. You understand that it is a 'defective' verb, meaning it doesn't have all the tenses of a normal verb. You should know that in the past tense, French speakers usually switch to 'brouter' or 'pâturer' because 'paître' is difficult to conjugate in the past. You also understand the cultural importance of grazing in French agriculture, such as for cheese production.

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At B2, you should be comfortable with the literary and idiomatic uses of 'paître'. You can use 'envoyer paître' correctly in a conversation to show annoyance. You understand the nuance between 'paître' (the state of being in the pasture) and 'brouter' (the physical act of nibbling). You are also aware of the 1990 spelling reform that allows 'paitre' without the accent, but you recognize that the accented version is more common in high-quality writing.

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At C1, you appreciate the poetic and historical weight of 'paître'. You can identify it in classical literature, such as the fables of La Fontaine or the pastoral novels of George Sand. You understand its transitive use (to lead to pasture) which is quite rare. You can discuss the ecological implications of 'éco-pâturage' in modern urban planning using the correct terminology and understand the subtle difference in register between 'paître' and 'pâturer'.

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At C2, you have a complete mastery of 'paître', including its rarest forms and its place in the history of the French language. You understand why it is defective (due to its phonetic evolution from Latin 'pascere'). You can use it metaphorically in sophisticated ways, such as 'paître les âmes' (to shepherd souls) in a religious or philosophical context. You are sensitive to the archaic feel it can give a text and use it deliberately to evoke a specific pastoral atmosphere.

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开始练习例句笔记与提示

paître 30秒了解

Paître means to graze, specifically for farm animals eating grass in a field.
It is a 'defective' verb, meaning it is rarely used in past or future tenses.
The idiom 'envoyer paître' is a common, colorful way to tell someone to 'get lost'.
It evokes a peaceful, rural atmosphere and is common in French literature and fables.

The French verb paître is a specialized and evocative word that primarily describes the action of animals, such as sheep, cows, or horses, feeding on the grass of a pasture. While a beginner might simply use the general verb manger (to eat), paître adds a layer of pastoral specificity that is essential for describing rural life, agriculture, and nature. It evokes a sense of calm, rhythmic consumption of vegetation in an open field. Understanding this word is not just about learning a synonym for eating; it is about grasping the agricultural heritage of France, where the sight of livestock in the meadows is a staple of the landscape.

Literal Meaning: To graze or to pasture. It specifically refers to the act of livestock eating grass directly from the ground where it grows, rather than being fed harvested hay or grain in a stable.
Agricultural Context: Used primarily in farming and rural descriptions. If you are visiting the French countryside (la campagne), you will see 'des vaches qui paissent' (cows grazing) everywhere from Normandy to the Alps.
Figurative Usage: In literature or idiomatic French, it can imply a sense of wandering or being sent away. The most famous idiom 'envoyer paître' means to tell someone to go away or to get lost, metaphorically sending them out to the field like an animal.

Regardez les moutons qui vont paître dans la vallée dès l'aube.

Translation: Look at the sheep going to graze in the valley at dawn.

Historically, paître has been a cornerstone of pastoral poetry and fables. Jean de La Fontaine, the famous French fabulist, frequently used this verb to describe the activities of his animal protagonists. When you use this word, you are tapping into a long tradition of French literary imagery that celebrates the simplicity and necessity of nature's cycles. It is a 'slow' verb, suggesting a peaceful, unhurried activity that lasts for hours under the sun.

Le troupeau de chèvres aime paître sur les pentes escarpées de la montagne.

Translation: The herd of goats loves to graze on the steep slopes of the mountain.

It is also important to note that paître is often used in the infinitive or the present tense. Because it is a 'defective' verb, many of its past and future forms are rarely used in modern conversation, often replaced by synonyms like brouter (to nibble/browse) or more complex constructions. This makes the word feel somewhat timeless and slightly formal or poetic when encountered in writing.

Comparison: Paître vs. Manger: 'Manger' is the general act of eating. 'Paître' is the specific ecological and behavioral act of an animal harvesting its own food from a pasture. You would never say a human 'paît' unless you were making a very specific, likely insulting, joke about them eating salad like a cow.

Il a envoyé son rival paître après la dispute.

Translation: He told his rival to get lost (sent him to graze) after the argument.

Using paître correctly requires an understanding of its unique grammatical constraints and its specific subjects. In French, verbs that describe animal actions often have their own set of rules. For paître, the most common subjects are herbivores. You will rarely see this verb used in the first or second person (Je paîs, Tu paîs) unless in a fable or a highly metaphorical context. Instead, focus on the third person singular and plural: il paît and ils paissent.

Transitive vs. Intransitive: Paître can be used intransitively (The cows are grazing: Les vaches paissent) or transitively, though this is rarer and more literary, meaning 'to lead to pasture' (The shepherd grazes his flock: Le berger paît son troupeau).

Les vaches paissent tranquillement dans le pré verdoyant.

Translation: The cows are grazing quietly in the green meadow.

One of the most critical aspects of using paître is the circumflex accent on the 'i'. In traditional French spelling, the 'i' before a 't' takes a circumflex (î). However, note that with the 1990 orthographic reform, 'paitre' (without the accent) is also accepted, though the version with the accent remains much more common in literature and formal education.

Il est interdit de laisser paître les animaux sur ce terrain privé.

Translation: It is forbidden to let animals graze on this private land.

When constructing sentences, pair paître with locations like dans le pré (in the meadow), dans la prairie (in the prairie), or sur la colline (on the hill). You can also use it to describe the time of day, such as paître à la tombée du jour (grazing at nightfall). This verb is highly visual; it sets a scene of peace and natural order.

Common Subjects: Le bétail (livestock), les ovins (sheep), les bovins (cattle), les caprins (goats), les cervidés (deer). These are the standard nouns that 'paissent'.

L'herbe est si haute que les agneaux peuvent à peine paître.

Translation: The grass is so high that the lambs can barely graze.

Finally, remember the idiomatic 'envoyer paître'. This is used in the imperative very often: 'Envoie-le paître !' (Tell him to get lost!). It is informal but not necessarily vulgar, making it a useful phrase to know for understanding social dynamics in French conversations or films.

While paître might seem like a word reserved for farmers, it actually permeates various layers of French culture and daily life. You will hear it in the countryside, certainly, but it also appears in weather reports (referring to mountain pastures), in children's books, and in sharp social dismissals. Its presence is a reminder of France's deep connection to the 'terroir' (the land).

In the Countryside (La Campagne): If you take a train through France, the 'TER' or 'TGV', you will pass thousands of fields. A tour guide or a local might point out, 'Ici, on laisse les vaches paître toute l'année.' It is a standard part of the descriptive vocabulary for the landscape.

Pendant la transhumance, les moutons montent paître en haute altitude.

Translation: During the transhumance, the sheep go up to graze at high altitude.

In children's literature, paître is a favorite. Classic stories like those involving 'Le Petit Chaperon Rouge' or 'Les Trois Petits Cochons' often set scenes in meadows where animals are grazing. It is one of the first 'animal verbs' French children learn, alongside 'aboyer' (to bark) or 'miauler' (to meow), though it describes an action rather than a sound.

Le documentaire montre des bisons qui viennent paître près de la rivière.

Translation: The documentary shows bisons coming to graze near the river.

In a completely different register, the idiom 'envoyer paître' is surprisingly common in French cinema and literature when a character is annoyed. It's a colorful way to say 'get lost' without being excessively vulgar. You might hear it in a heated dialogue: 'Si elle continue à me critiquer, je vais l'envoyer paître !' This usage bridges the gap between the pastoral and the urban, showing how agricultural metaphors still influence modern French slang.

In Fine Dining and Gastronomy: Menus for high-end restaurants often describe the origin of their meat. You might see 'Agneau de pré-salé, ayant pu paître librement dans les marais.' This emphasizes the quality and natural diet of the animal.

Ce fromage a un goût unique car les vaches paissent des fleurs sauvages.

Translation: This cheese has a unique taste because the cows graze on wild flowers.

Finally, in the context of ecology and 'éco-pâturage' (urban grazing), you will see this word in city planning news. Many French cities now use sheep instead of lawnmowers to maintain public parks. Signs might read: 'Zone d'éco-pâturage : ne pas déranger les moutons qui paissent.'

Learning paître involves navigating its irregular conjugation and its specific semantic range. Many learners make the mistake of overusing it or applying it to the wrong subjects. Because it is a 'defective' verb, it can be a trap for those who try to apply standard '-re' verb endings to all tenses. Here are the most frequent pitfalls to avoid.

Mistake 1: Using it for Humans: In English, we might jokingly say someone is 'grazing' on snacks. In French, using 'paître' for a human is much more jarring and almost exclusively interpreted as an insult or a very strange metaphor. Use 'grignoter' (to snack) instead.
Mistake 2: The Missing Circumflex: Forgetting the accent on the 'i' in 'paître' or its third-person singular 'il paît'. While the 1990 reform allows 'paitre', most examiners and traditionalists will still mark 'paitre' or 'pait' as an error or a sign of poor spelling.

Il pait l'herbe. → Il paît l'herbe.

Note: The circumflex is essential in traditional spelling to distinguish it from other sounds.

Another common error is trying to conjugate it in the 'passé composé' incorrectly. The past participle is pu (rare) or more commonly, the verb is simply avoided in the past. If you say 'Les vaches ont paît', it sounds very unnatural. Instead, use 'Les vaches ont brouté' or 'Les vaches étaient au pâturage'.

Le chien paît dans le jardin. → Le mouton paît dans le pré.

Explanation: Dogs do not graze; only herbivores like sheep do.

Finally, learners often confuse 'paître' with 'brouter'. While similar, 'brouter' is more about the physical action of the mouth (nibbling/browsing), whereas 'paître' is the general state of being in the pasture to feed. You 'broute' a specific plant, but you 'paît' in a field. Using 'paître' for a goat eating a specific flower might feel a bit too broad; 'brouter' would be more precise there.

Summary of Avoidance: Avoid 'paître' in the 'passé simple', 'imparfait du subjonctif', and generally in the first person singular unless you are writing a poem from the perspective of a cow!

In French, there are several ways to describe the act of eating, especially for animals. Depending on the nuance you want to convey—whether it's the physical action, the location, or the type of animal—you might choose a different verb. Understanding these alternatives will make your French sound more natural and precise.

Brouter: This is the most common synonym. It refers specifically to the action of nibbling grass or leaves. While 'paître' is the state of grazing, 'brouter' is the physical act. Example: La chèvre broute les buissons.
Herbeiller: A very technical, rare term used in hunting or specific agricultural contexts to describe deer or livestock feeding on grass.
Se nourrir: A general term meaning 'to feed oneself'. It can be used for any animal or human. Example: Les animaux se nourrissent d'herbe.

Plutôt que de dire 'les vaches mangent', dites 'les vaches paissent' pour être plus précis.

Translation: Instead of saying 'the cows are eating', say 'the cows are grazing' to be more precise.

When comparing paître to brouter, remember that paître often implies the whole duration and context of being in a pasture, while brouter is the mechanical action. You can 'brouter' a specific plant, but you 'paître' on a field. Also, 'brouter' is a regular '-er' verb, making it much easier to conjugate in all tenses, which is why you'll hear it more often in the past tense.

L'agriculteur préfère faire pâturer ses bêtes plutôt que de leur donner du grain.

Translation: The farmer prefers to pasture his beasts rather than giving them grain.

Another interesting comparison is with the verb mâchonner (to munch/chew slowly). While a grazing animal does this, mâchonner focuses on the mouth movement and can be used for humans (e.g., chewing on a pencil). Paître remains strictly tied to the ecological context of the pasture.

Register Comparison: - Paître: Literary, traditional, precise.
- Brouter: Common, everyday language.
- Pâturer: Technical, agricultural, regular conjugation.

How Formal Is It?

正式

"Les autorités agricoles encouragent les éleveurs à faire paître leurs troupeaux en plein air."

中性

"Les vaches paissent dans la prairie derrière la maison."

非正式

"Laisse-le paître, il finira par se calmer."

Child friendly

"Regarde le petit mouton qui paît l'herbe toute verte !"

俚语

"Va te faire paître !"

趣味小知识

The word 'pastor' (as in a church leader) comes from the same Latin root 'pascere', because a pastor is metaphorically a shepherd who 'feeds' his flock.

发音指南

UK /pɛːtʁ/

US /pɛtʁ/

Stress is on the only syllable.

押韵词

maître (master) naître (to be born) traître (traitor) paraître (to appear) hêtre (beech tree) fenêtre (window) être (to be) connaître (to know)

常见错误

Pronouncing the 't' too softly or like an English 't'.
Confusing the 'ai' sound with 'ay' (like 'pay'). It should be an open 'e'.
Failing to pronounce the final 'r' sound.
Mispronouncing it as 'paitre' (short 'e') instead of the slightly longer 'paître'.
Confusing it with 'pâte' (dough).

难度评级

阅读 2/5

Easy to recognize in context, especially in rural descriptions.

写作 4/5

Difficult due to the circumflex and its defective nature (knowing which tenses to avoid).

口语 3/5

Pronunciation is simple, but knowing when to use it vs. 'brouter' takes practice.

听力 2/5

Usually clear, but can be confused with 'paraître' if the listener is not careful.

接下来学什么

前置知识

manger herbe vache mouton champ

接下来学习

brouter pâturage berger troupeau transhumance

高级

repaître défectif bucolique pastoral estive

需要掌握的语法

Defective Verbs

Paître lacks the passé simple. Use 'brouta' instead.

The Circumflex Accent

The 'i' becomes 'î' before 't' (il paît).

Causative with 'Faire'

Faire paître le troupeau (To make the flock graze).

Infinitive as Noun

Le paître est essentiel pour ces bêtes.

Collective Nouns Agreement

Le troupeau paît (singular) vs Les vaches paissent (plural).

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按水平分级的例句

Les moutons paissent dans le pré.

The sheep graze in the meadow.

Present tense, 3rd person plural.

La vache paît tranquillement.

The cow grazes quietly.

Note the circumflex on the 'î'.

Regarde, le cheval va paître.

Look, the horse is going to graze.

Infinitive form after 'aller'.

Les animaux aiment paître l'herbe.

Animals like to graze on grass.

Infinitive used as an object.

Le petit agneau paît avec sa mère.

The little lamb grazes with its mother.

3rd person singular.

Il y a des chèvres qui paissent là-bas.

There are goats grazing over there.

Relative clause with 'qui'.

Le troupeau paît toute la journée.

The herd grazes all day long.

Collective noun 'troupeau' takes a singular verb.

Où vont paître les moutons ?

Where are the sheep going to graze?

Infinitive in a question.

L'herbe est bonne pour paître.

The grass is good for grazing.

Infinitive after 'pour'.

Le berger laisse paître ses bêtes.

The shepherd lets his beasts graze.

Causative-like construction with 'laisser'.

Il fait beau, les vaches peuvent paître.

The weather is nice, the cows can graze.

Infinitive after 'pouvoir'.

Les lapins paissent aussi dans les champs.

Rabbits also graze in the fields.

Broadening the subject to smaller animals.

Je vois des ânes qui paissent au bord de la route.

I see donkeys grazing by the side of the road.

Relative pronoun 'qui'.

Ils envoient les moutons paître en montagne.

They send the sheep to graze in the mountains.

Movement verb + infinitive.

La pluie empêche les animaux de paître.

The rain prevents the animals from grazing.

Infinitive after 'de' and 'empêcher'.

Est-ce que les chevaux paissent la nuit ?

Do horses graze at night?

Standard question format.

Le bétail paît sur les terres de la commune.

The livestock grazes on the communal lands.

Use of 'bétail' as a collective noun.

Il l'a envoyé paître car il était trop insistant.

He told him to get lost because he was too insistent.

Introduction of the idiom 'envoyer paître'.

Les vaches paissent l'herbe tendre du printemps.

The cows graze on the tender spring grass.

Transitive use of 'paître' with a direct object.

Le berger mène son troupeau paître dans la vallée.

The shepherd leads his flock to graze in the valley.

Verb 'mener' + object + infinitive.

On entend les cloches des vaches qui paissent.

We hear the bells of the cows that are grazing.

Auditory imagery combined with the verb.

Il est rare de voir des cerfs paître en plein jour.

It is rare to see deer grazing in broad daylight.

Impersonal construction 'Il est rare de...'.

L'agriculteur choisit où ses bêtes vont paître.

The farmer chooses where his beasts will graze.

Indirect question with 'où'.

Les moutons paissent paisiblement sous les oliviers.

The sheep graze peacefully under the olive trees.

Use of the adverb 'paisiblement'.

Dès qu'il a commencé à se plaindre, elle l'a envoyé paître.

As soon as he started complaining, she told him to get lost.

Idiomatic usage in a complex sentence.

Les prairies alpines sont idéales pour faire paître le bétail.

Alpine meadows are ideal for grazing livestock.

Causative 'faire paître'.

Le droit de paître sur ces terres remonte au Moyen Âge.

The right to graze on these lands dates back to the Middle Ages.

Noun-like use of the infinitive.

Les oies paissent également dans les vergers en automne.

Geese also graze in the orchards in autumn.

Applying the verb to poultry.

Ce fromage doit son goût aux herbes que les chèvres paissent.

This cheese owes its taste to the herbs the goats graze on.

Transitive use in a relative clause.

On les laissa paître en toute liberté dans le parc national.

They were allowed to graze freely in the national park.

Passive-like 'on' construction.

Il ne faut pas envoyer paître ses amis sans raison.

One shouldn't dismiss one's friends without reason.

Metaphorical use of the idiom.

Les chamois paissent sur les crêtes les plus hautes.

Chamois graze on the highest ridges.

Specific wildlife vocabulary.

Dans ses fables, La Fontaine fait souvent paître ses personnages.

In his fables, La Fontaine often has his characters graze.

Literary reference.

Le projet d'éco-pâturage consiste à faire paître des moutons en ville.

The eco-grazing project consists of having sheep graze in the city.

Modern technical context.

L'herbe rase témoigne du passage de bêtes venues paître ici.

The short grass bears witness to the passage of animals that came to graze here.

Complex descriptive sentence.

Il est vain d'envoyer paître la vérité quand elle nous dérange.

It is futile to dismiss the truth when it disturbs us.

Highly abstract metaphorical use of the idiom.

Les troupeaux paissent les estives sous l'œil vigilant du patou.

The flocks graze the summer pastures under the watchful eye of the sheepdog.

Technical term 'estives' (summer pastures).

La défectivité du verbe paître oblige à utiliser des périphrases au passé.

The defectiveness of the verb 'paître' forces the use of periphrases in the past.

Meta-linguistic use.

Les vaches paissent à l'ombre des grands chênes séculaires.

The cows graze in the shade of the great centuries-old oaks.

Poetic register.

On voyait au loin les silhouettes des chevaux qui paissaient.

One could see in the distance the silhouettes of the grazing horses.

Imperfect tense 'paissaient'.

Le poète contemple le troupeau paissant dans la lumière déclinante.

The poet contemplates the flock grazing in the waning light.

Present participle 'paissant'.

Ce verbe, issu du latin pascere, évoque une ruralité presque immuable.

This verb, derived from the Latin 'pascere', evokes an almost immutable rurality.

Etymological discussion.

Bien que défectif, paître demeure irremplaçable dans l'imaginaire bucolique.

Although defective, 'paître' remains irreplaceable in the bucolic imagination.

Concessive clause with 'bien que'.

L'autorité pastorale consistait jadis à faire paître les âmes des fidèles.

Pastoral authority once consisted of shepherding (grazing) the souls of the faithful.

Archaic metaphorical usage.

Les bêtes paissent l'herbe drue des hauts plateaux volcaniques.

The beasts graze the thick grass of the high volcanic plateaus.

Precise geographical/botanical vocabulary.

Il envoya paître ses détracteurs avec une élégance souveraine.

He dismissed his detractors with sovereign elegance.

Elevated use of a common idiom.

La transhumance permet aux ovins de paître des herbes variées et parfumées.

Transhumance allows sheep to graze on varied and fragrant herbs.

Complex subject-verb-object structure.

On ne saurait envoyer paître les traditions sans perdre une part de soi.

One cannot dismiss traditions without losing a part of oneself.

Use of 'ne saurait' for polite impossibility.

常见搭配

paître dans le pré

laisser paître

envoyer paître

mener paître

paître l'herbe

zone pour paître

aller paître

faire paître

paître en liberté

droit de paître

常用短语

Les vaches paissent.

— The simplest way to describe cows grazing. Used in basic descriptions.

Regarde par la fenêtre du train, les vaches paissent.

Envoyer paître quelqu'un.

— To tell someone to go away or get lost. A common figurative use.

Il m'énervait, alors je l'ai envoyé paître.

Mener paître le troupeau.

— To take the flock to the pasture. Describes the shepherd's job.

Le berger mène paître le troupeau chaque matin.

Laisser paître en paix.

— To let graze in peace. Often used metaphorically to mean 'leave alone'.

Laissez-le paître en paix, il ne fait de mal à personne.

L'herbe pour paître.

— The grass intended for grazing. Focuses on the resource.

Cette herbe est parfaite pour paître.

Aller paître ailleurs.

— To go graze elsewhere. Often used as a dismissive command.

Va paître ailleurs, tu me déranges !

Le temps de paître.

— The time allocated for grazing. Rural/pastoral timing.

C'est enfin le temps de paître pour les moutons.

Paître sur le sel.

— To graze on salty marshes (specific to 'agneau de pré-salé').

Ces agneaux paissent sur le sel de la baie.

Faire paître ses bêtes.

— To have one's animals graze. Standard farming phrase.

Il doit faire paître ses bêtes avant la nuit.

Droit de paître et de parcours.

— An old legal right for livestock to cross and graze on lands.

Le droit de paître et de parcours est encore respecté ici.

容易混淆的词

paître vs paraître

Means 'to appear' or 'to seem'. Often confused because of the spelling and circumflex.

paître vs naître

Means 'to be born'. Similar ending but completely different meaning.

paître vs pâte

Means 'dough' or 'paste'. Sounds similar but is a noun.

习语与表达

"Envoyer paître"

— To rudely dismiss someone; to tell them to get lost.

Si elle revient me demander de l'argent, je l'envoie paître.

informal

"Envoyer quelqu'un paître ses oies"

— A more specific, slightly old-fashioned version of 'envoyer paître'.

Il l'a envoyé paître ses oies sans ménagement.

informal/dated

"Va te faire paître !"

— A sharp 'Go away!' or 'Get lost!'.

Tu me fatigues avec tes questions, va te faire paître !

slang/informal

"Paître l'herbe par la racine"

— To be dead (similar to 'pushing up daisies').

Le vieux brigand paît maintenant l'herbe par la racine.

literary/dark humor

"Laisser paître"

— To leave someone alone to do their own thing (often dismissive).

Laisse-le paître, il finira bien par comprendre.

neutral

"Il est allé paître"

— He has gone away (often implying he was kicked out).

Où est Jean ? Oh, il est allé paître après sa dispute avec le chef.

informal

"Mener paître son monde"

— To lead people around, often in a manipulative or pastoral way.

Ce politicien sait comment mener paître son monde.

figurative

"Paître de vent"

— To feed on nothing; to have empty hopes (archaic).

Il se paît de vent avec ses promesses irréalisables.

literary/archaic

"Se paître de"

— To delight in or feed on (metaphorically, like feeding on illusions).

Elle se paît de chimères depuis des années.

literary

"Envoyer paître les moutons"

— To send someone to do a menial or distant task to get rid of them.

On l'a envoyé paître les moutons pour qu'il ne nous gêne plus.

informal

容易混淆

paître vs Brouter

Both mean 'to graze'.

Brouter is the physical act of nibbling; Paître is the general state of grazing in a pasture. Brouter is a regular verb, while Paître is defective.

La vache paît dans le pré et broute un trèfle.

paître vs Pâturer

Both relate to pastures.

Pâturer is a modern, regular synonym for paître often used in technical contexts. Paître is more traditional and literary.

Les chevaux pâturent dans le haut de la vallée.

paître vs Manger

General vs specific.

Manger is for any eating; Paître is specifically for herbivores on grass. You don't 'paître' a steak.

Le mouton mange (paît) de l'herbe.

paître vs Paraître

Visual similarity.

Paraître is about visibility or appearance; Paître is about eating grass. They share the same conjugation endings in the present.

Le mouton paît (grazes) et paraît (appears) heureux.

paître vs Repaître

Same root.

Repaître usually means to feed someone or to satiate. Often used reflexively (se repaître de) for metaphorical feasting.

Il se repaît de ses succès passés.

句型

[Animal] + paît.

Le mouton paît.

[Animaux] + paissent + dans + [Lieu].

Les vaches paissent dans le champ.

Envoyer + [Personne] + paître.

Elle l'a envoyé paître.

Faire + paître + [Troupeau].

Le berger fait paître son troupeau.

Droit de + paître + sur + [Terres].

Le droit de paître sur les terres communales.

[Sujet] + se paît + de + [Abstrait].

Il se paît de vaines espérances.

Laisser + [Animaux] + paître.

On laisse les chèvres paître ici.

Aller + paître.

Les bêtes vont paître.

词族

名词

动词

形容词

如何使用

frequency

Common in rural/agricultural contexts and specific idioms; rare in urban daily life.

常见错误

Using 'paître' for humans eating. → manger / grignoter
Paître is strictly for animals. Using it for humans sounds very strange or insulting.
Forgetting the circumflex: 'Il pait'. → Il paît
The traditional spelling requires a circumflex on the 'i' before a 't'.
Using 'paître' for a dog or cat. → manger
Only herbivores (cows, sheep, etc.) 'paissent'. Carnivores just 'mangent'.
Trying to use the passé simple 'il paquit'. → il brouta
The passé simple of paître is obsolete. Use a synonym like 'brouter'.
Confusing 'paître' with 'paraître'. → N/A
Paraître means 'to appear'. They look similar but have no relation in meaning.

小贴士

Master the Present Tense

Focus on 'il paît' and 'ils paissent'. These are the most useful forms you will actually use. Remember the circumflex on the singular form!

Use it for Imagery

When writing a story, use 'paître' instead of 'manger' to immediately signal to the reader that the setting is rural and peaceful.

Use 'Envoyer Paître' Wisely

It's a great way to show character emotion in writing. 'Il l'envoya paître d'un geste de la main' (He dismissed him with a wave of his hand).

The Accent Rule

In verbs like paître, paraître, and connaître, the 'i' takes a circumflex whenever it is followed by a 't'.

The Cheese Connection

When buying French cheese, look for descriptions of animals 'paissant en liberté'. It's a sign of high quality and traditional methods.

Pronunciation Tip

Don't over-pronounce the 't'. It should be crisp but not aspirated like in English. The emphasis is on the vowel.

Read Fables

Read 'Le Loup et l'Agneau' by La Fontaine. You will see how 'paître' is used to set the scene for the story.

Farm Vocabulary

Group 'paître' with other farm words like 'étable' (stable), 'pré' (meadow), and 'troupeau' (flock) to help it stick in your memory.

Avoid Past Conjugations

If you need a past tense, use 'brouter'. It's a regular verb and much more common in spoken French for the past.

Listen for the Idiom

In French movies, listen for 'Envoie-le paître !' It's a very common way for characters to express frustration with someone.

记住它

记忆技巧

Think of a **PA**sture where animals **EAT** (paître). The 'î' looks like a little tent or a shepherd's hut in the middle of the field.

视觉联想

Imagine a green meadow in the French Alps with a white sheep wearing a little hat (the circumflex accent) while it eats grass.

Word Web

Mouton Vache Herbe Pré Berger Brouter Campagne Nature

挑战

Try to use 'paître' in three sentences today: one about a cow, one about a sheep, and one telling an imaginary annoying person to 'get lost' using 'envoyer paître'.

词源

Derived from the Latin verb 'pascere', which means 'to feed, to pasture, or to graze'. It entered Old French as 'pascere' and evolved through phonetic changes into 'paistre' and eventually 'paître'.

原始含义： To provide food for or to feed (animals).

Indo-European > Italic > Romance > Gallo-Romance > French.

文化背景

Be careful with 'envoyer paître'; it is dismissive and can be seen as rude depending on your tone and the recipient.

In English, we use 'graze' for both animals and humans (grazing on snacks). In French, 'paître' is much more strictly for animals.

Les Fables de La Fontaine (frequent use of pastoral verbs) L'Amour est dans le pré (popular French TV show about farmers) The song 'Il pleut, il pleut, bergère' (implies the shepherdess must bring in the sheep that were grazing)

在生活中练习

真实语境

On a farm

Où sont les vaches ?
Elles paissent dans le pré.
Il faut mener les moutons paître.
L'herbe est-elle assez haute pour paître ?

Describing a landscape

Un paysage paisible avec des bêtes qui paissent.
On voit des chèvres paître sur la colline.
Le troupeau paît au loin.
La vallée est parsemée d'animaux qui paissent.

Expressing annoyance

Je l'ai envoyé paître.
Va paître ailleurs !
Elle m'a envoyé paître quand j'ai posé la question.
Il mérite d'être envoyé paître.

Literature/Fables

L'agneau paissait au bord de l'onde.
Le loup vit le mouton qui paissait.
Le pâtre menait paître son troupeau.
Ils paissaient l'herbe fleurie.

Ecology/Urban Planning

Le projet d'éco-pâturage.
Faire paître des moutons dans les parcs.
Les animaux paissent pour entretenir les espaces verts.
Une méthode naturelle : laisser paître le bétail.

对话开场白

"As-tu déjà vu des moutons paître en plein centre-ville ? C'est l'éco-pâturage !"

"Quand tu vas à la campagne, aimes-tu regarder les vaches qui paissent ?"

"Est-ce que tu connais l'expression 'envoyer paître quelqu'un' ?"

"Pourquoi penses-tu que le mot 'paître' est si important dans la littérature française ?"

"Sais-tu quels animaux paissent le plus dans ta région ?"

日记主题

Décrivez une scène de campagne française en utilisant le verbe 'paître'. Que voyez-vous et qu'entendez-vous ?

Racontez une fois où vous avez eu envie d'envoyer paître quelqu'un. Quelle était la situation ?

Imaginez que vous êtes un berger. Décrivez votre journée passée à faire paître votre troupeau.

Pensez-vous que l'éco-pâturage (faire paître des animaux en ville) est une bonne idée pour l'environnement ?

Analysez la différence entre 'manger' et 'paître'. Pourquoi la langue française a-t-elle besoin de ces deux mots ?

常见问题

10 个问题

Generally, no. It is reserved for animals. Using it for a person is either an insult (comparing them to a cow) or part of the idiom 'envoyer paître' (to tell them to get lost). For normal eating, use 'manger' or 'grignoter'.

In traditional French, yes, on the 'î' in the infinitive and the 3rd person singular 'il paît'. However, the 1990 spelling reform allows 'paitre' and 'pait'. Most formal contexts still prefer the version with the accent.

It is 'defective' because it lacks many tenses that standard verbs have, such as the passé simple and the subjonctif imparfait. This is due to its historical phonetic development. French speakers use synonyms for these missing tenses.

Paître describes the whole activity of being in a field to eat. Brouter describes the specific physical action of the animal's teeth and mouth on the grass. You 'paître' in a meadow, but you 'broute' a specific plant.

Since 'paître' is defective, you would usually say 'Les vaches ont brouté' or 'Les vaches étaient au pâturage'. 'Les vaches ont pu' (from paître) is grammatically possible but very rare and sounds strange to most ears.

It is informal and dismissive, but it is not considered a 'swear word'. It's equivalent to 'get lost' or 'go jump in a lake'. It is safer to use than many other French insults.

Yes, any herbivore that eats grass in a pasture can 'paître'. This includes horses, cows, sheep, goats, deer, and even rabbits or geese.

It is the causative form, meaning 'to lead to pasture' or 'to make graze'. It's what a shepherd or farmer does with their animals.

Yes, the most common related noun is 'pâturage' (pasture). There is also 'pâture' (food/pasture) and the archaic 'pâtre' (shepherd).

Extremely rarely. You might find it in a poem or a fable where an animal is the narrator. In normal conversation, you would never say 'Je paîs'.

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