blâmer
/bla.me/
To blame in French is blâmer. Wiktionary also lists reprocher.
Meaning: place blame upon (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| blâmer | /bla.me/ /blɑ.me/ |
| reprocher | /ʁə.pʁɔ.ʃe/ |
The verb blâmer is used to assign responsibility for a fault. If you want to express the state of having caused a bad event, you can use the nouns coupabilité or blâme. In a formal or administrative context, un blâme refers specifically to an official reprimand or a formal warning.
Which one should you use?
While blâmer is used for assigning responsibility for a fault, reprocher is more commonly used when expressing disapproval or criticizing someone's behavior, similar to saying you want to reproach or tell someone off.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb reprocher is a transitive indirect verb, structured as reprocher quelque chose à quelqu'un (to reproach someone for something).
How do you pronounce it?
/bla.me/
Did you know?
- The verb blâmer is actually a close relative of the word 'blasphemy'. It comes from the Late Latin 'blastemare', which is a variation of the word for speaking sacrilegiously.
- French has a specific nuance in reprocher that allows a person to blame someone for a virtue, such as blaming a friend for being 'too kind'.
- In French, if you want to say you 'take the blame', you often use the phrase assumer la responsabilité, as prendre le blâme is an anglicism.
Examples in context
- Qui est à blâmer ?Who is to blame?This sentence is useful for asking who is responsible.Tatoeba #6777974 by felix63, translation #4496083 by CK
- Qui peut te blâmer ?Who can blame you?This sentence is useful for asking who has the right to blame someone.Tatoeba #5600004 by Aiji, translation #3402301 by CK
- Qui faut-il blâmer ?Who do we blame?This sentence is useful for asking who the blame should be directed toward.Tatoeba #14041857 by Myrano_, translation #4496088 by CK
- Je l'accuse d'avoir mal agiI blame him/her for acting badly
- On lui impute la responsabilité de l'échec du projetHe/She is blamed for the project's failure
- Nous devons le tenir pour responsable de ses erreursWe must hold him accountable for his mistakes
- Ils me pointent du doigt pour l'échec du projetThey blame me for the project's failure
- Ils mettent tous les torts sur le dos du gouvernementThey blame the government for everything
- Il me reproche tous les problèmesHe blames me for all the problems
- Il cherche toujours à faire porter le chapeau à quelqu'un d'autreHe always tries to blame someone else
- Ne m'accuse pas sans raisonDon't blame me without reason
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are discussing a mistake at work.
- ManonTu ne peux pas blâmer Nathan pour cette erreur.You can't blame Nathan for this error.
- NathanPourtant, il a fait une faute.Yet, he made a mistake.
- ManonC'est une erreur de l'équipe entière.It is a mistake by the whole team.
- NathanD'accord, je ne vais pas le blâmer.Okay, I am not going to blame him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blame” translations and entries blâmer, reprocher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blâmer, reprocher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
