soustraire
/sus.tʁɛʁ/
To subtract in French is soustraire.
Beyond mathematics, it is also used figuratively to mean withdrawing or removing someone or something from a situation or a person, as seen in the construction soustraire quelque chose à quelqu'un.
Meaning: to remove or reduce (verb)
Which one should you use?
In a purely mathematical context, while soustraire is the verb, the noun for 'subtraction' is la soustraction.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb soustraire is a regular -re verb in its conjugation patterns.
How do you pronounce it?
/sus.tʁɛʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The verb soustraire is an irregular -re verb that shares its conjugation pattern with traire, the specific verb used for milking a cow.
- In a legal or criminal context, soustraire is often used to describe the act of stealing or embezzling, specifically when someone removes an object from its rightful owner's possession.
- The French verb soustraire shares the same root as the English word 'extract'. Both come from the Latin root meaning to draw or pull, with soustraire meaning to pull away from underneath.
Examples in context
- Au lieu d'additionner j'ai dû apprendre à soustraire.Instead of adding, I had to learn to subtract.This sentence shows the use of soustraire in a mathematical context.Tatoeba #8796931 by lbdx, translation #10117406 by AlanF_US
- Il faut soustraire deux de dix pour obtenir huit.You need to subtract two from ten to get eight.
- Pour effectuer une soustraction, on retranche le deuxième nombre du premier.To perform a subtraction, we subtract the second number from the first.
- Il faut retrancher le deuxième nombre du premier.You need to subtract the second number from the first.
- Tu peux soustraire ces frais du total.You can subtract these fees from the total.
- Il faut soustraire les pertes du montant initial.We must subtract the losses from the initial amount.
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are reviewing a budget at home.
- NathanDois-je soustraire ce montant de la facture ?Should I subtract this amount from the bill?
- ManonOui, Nathan, soustrais-le tout de suite.Yes, Nathan, subtract it right away.
- NathanC'est fait, le nouveau total est prêt.It is done, the new total is ready.
- ManonMerci, c'est beaucoup plus clair maintenant.Thank you, it is much clearer now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “subtract” translations and entries soustraire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
