haleter
/al.te/
The English verb gasp can be translated into French as haleter or retenir son souffle.
Meaning: to draw in the breath suddenly (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| haleter | /al.te/ |
| retenir son souffle | /ʁə.t(ə).niʁ sɔ̃ sufl/ |
The term haleter is generally used to describe gasping or panting due to physical exertion or exhaustion.
Which one should you use?
haleter specifically describes the sensation of panting for air after physical effort.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun halètement is used to describe the actual sound or the act of panting or gasping.
How do you pronounce it?
haleter is pronounced /al.te/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In a medical context, a French doctor might talk about the souffle au cœur, which refers to a heart murmur rather than a literal gasp.
- In French, the act of gasping for air due to a surprise is often expressed as avoir le souffle coupé, literally meaning 'to have one's breath cut'.
- While haleter means to gasp or pant, it is closely related to the verb haler, which means 'to haul' or 'to pull'.
Examples in context
- Elle a commencé à haleter de fatigue.She started to gasp from fatigue.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gasp” translations and entries haleter, retenir son souffle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries haleter, retenir, son, souffle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
