regretter
/ʁə.ɡʁɛ.te/
The English phrase "to rue" is translated into French as regretter.
regretter is a verb meaning to repent or regret a past action or event. It is distinct from the noun rue, which refers to any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta.
Meaning: to repent or regret a past action or event (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form is regrette (I regret / he regrets), and the past participle is regretté (regretted).
How do you pronounce it?
regretter has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ʁə.ɡʁɛ.te/.
Did you know?
- The noun rue meaning 'street' is a homograph of the English word 'rue'. This means a French speaker talking about a 'street' might sound like an English speaker expressing deep sorrow.
- Because it comes from a root meaning 'to weep', the word regretter shares an ancient linguistic ancestor with the English word 'greet', which originally meant to shout or cry out.
- While 'to rue' in English often implies a sense of heavy, permanent regret, the French regretter can be used for much lighter, everyday disappointments.
Examples in context
- Je marche dans la rue principaleI walk on the main street
- Allons nous promener dans les ruelles du Vieux-QuébecLet's take a walk in the narrow streets of Old Quebec
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rue” translations and entries regretter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries regretter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
