lire un livre
To read a book in French is lire un livre.
The phrase lire un livre means to look at and understand the written words in a book. If you want to express different levels of engagement with a book, you might use other phrases: Feuilleter un ouvrage suggests browsing through a book, Parcourir un livre means to skim through or glance over a book and Plonger dans un livre means to dive into a book.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb lire can change depending on how you use it. The present participle lisant un livre is used to express the continuous action of reading a book. If you are giving a command to read a book using the formal or plural vous form, you use the imperative lisez un livre.
Did you know?
- The word livre is actually two different words that became one in French: one from the Latin 'librum' for book and another from 'libra' for weight.
- French speakers use the verb dévorer which means 'to devour' to describe the act of reading a book with great passion and speed.
- The French verb lire can be used figuratively to describe reading someone's mind, specifically in the expression lire dans les pensées.
Examples in context
- Elle veut lire un livre.She wants to read a book.This sentence shows the use of lire un livre to express a desire.Tatoeba #2757765 by Julien_PDC, translation #2757762 by CM
- Je viens de lire un livre.I just read a book.This sentence shows the use of lire un livre to express a recently completed action.Tatoeba #7701683 by Maxence, translation #5170291 by tabular
- Je vais lire un livre pendant que tu dors.I'll read a book while you're sleeping.This sentence shows the use of lire un livre to express a future intention.Tatoeba #139828 by Aiji, translation #139827 by fcbond
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are spending a quiet afternoon at home.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que tu fais, Hugo ?What are you doing, Hugo?
- HugoJe préfère lire un livre aujourd'hui.I prefer to read a book today.
- ChloéC'est une bonne idée pour se détendre.That is a good idea to relax.
- HugoOui, j'adore lire un livre le dimanche.Yes, I love to read a book on Sundays.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lire, livre, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
