oser
/o.ze/
The French verb for 'to dare' is oser.
Meaning: to defy or challenge (verb)
Which one should you use?
While oser means to have the courage to do something, défier is used specifically when you are challenging someone or a rule. For the noun form of 'challenge', you can use défi.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb oser is followed directly by an infinitive without a preposition.
How do you pronounce it?
oser is pronounced /o.ze/ and has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use défier to mean 'to dare to do something,' but oser is the correct verb for the act of daring to perform an action.
Did you know?
- While oser is the verb for daring, the related adjective osé is used to describe art or fashion that is 'risqué' or sexually suggestive.
- The verb oser shares a common ancestor with the Latin word audeō, which is the root of the English word 'audacious'.
- French uses oser in the phrase comment osez-vous, which is the standard way to express indignation when someone has crossed a social boundary.
Examples in context
- Tu vas oser le lui demander ?Dare you ask him about it?This sentence shows how to use oser in a question about asking someone something.Tatoeba #3777773 by kamillel, translation #16622 by arnarsmata
- Qui oserait faire une telle chose?Who would dare do such a thing?This sentence uses a conditional form of oser to ask who would have the courage to do something.Tatoeba #5439408 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5439386 by mailohilohi
- Oserez-vous me poser une autre question ?Dare you ask me another question?This sentence demonstrates a way to ask a question using oser.Tatoeba #1398769 by Delapouite, translation #71905 by Dejo
- Il ose affronter ses peurs.He dares to face his fears.
- Je lui lance un défi : apprendre une nouvelle langue en un mois.I dare him/her to learn a new language in a month.
- L'entreprise a lancé un défi à ses employés : augmenter leur productivité de 20%.The company dared its employees to increase their productivity by 20%.
- Je veux te pousser à prendre des risques et à sortir de ta zone de confort.I want to dare you to take risks and step out of your comfort zone.
- Je le défie d'aller lui parler.I dare him to go talk to her.
- Je lui lance un défi : réussir à terminer ce jeu vidéo en moins de deux heures.I dare him/her to finish this video game in less than two hours.
- On nous a lancé un défi : montrer nos talents de danseurs lors de la fête.We were dared to show our dancing skills at the party.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oser, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oser, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
