germer
/ʒɛʁ.me/
To germinate in French is germer.
The verb germer is used both for the biological process of seeds sprouting and metaphorically for ideas or feelings beginning to develop.
Meaning: sprout or produce buds (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of germer is germé.
How do you pronounce it?
germer is pronounced /ʒɛʁ.me/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word germer is part of a family of words that includes germain, which refers to something being 'sibling' or 'related', stemming from the same concept of a common origin.
- In some French poetic contexts, germer is used to describe the appearance of stars or light appearing from the darkness, much like a sprout from soil.
- The French word germer shares a direct ancestor with the English word 'germ', but in French, it relates more to the physical act of sprouting than to a biological microbe.
Examples in context
- La graine commence à germer.The seed is beginning to germinate.This sentence is useful for showing how to use germer to describe a seed beginning to sprout.Tatoeba #12635567 by lbdx, translation #3336616 by mervert1
- Les graines germinent dans des conditions favorablesThe seeds germinate in favorable conditions
- Il faut mettre les graines en germination avant de les planterYou need to put the seeds into germination before planting them
- Les plantes commencent à germer après l'arrosageThe plants begin to germinate after watering
- Les graines poussent rapidement dans ce sol fertileThe seeds germinate quickly in this fertile soil
- Après quelques jours d'arrosage régulier, les graines ont commencé à germer dans le terreau fertile du pot.After a few days of regular watering, the seeds started to germinate in the fertile potting soil.
- Les graines de tournesol vont germer bientôt.The sunflower seeds will sprout soon.
- Il faut de l'eau pour faire germer les plantes.Water is needed to make the plants sprout.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are looking at a flower pot.
- EmmaRegarde, Gabriel, je pense que ça commence à germer !Look, Gabriel, I think it's starting to sprout!
- GabrielC'est super, Emma ! Tu as bien arrosé.That's great, Emma! You watered it well.
- EmmaJe me demande combien de temps elles vont mettre pour germer complètement.I wonder how long they will take to germinate completely.
- GabrielEncore quelques jours et on verra les feuilles.A few more days and we will see the leaves.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “germinate” translations and entries germer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries germer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
