French Word of the Day: Piquer
You may be familiar with the formal definition for this French term, but you should know its informal usage too.
Why do I need to know piquer?
Because the informal definition for this word might come in handy when taking crowded public transportation.
What does it mean?
Piquer - roughly pronounced pee-kay - technically means to sting, stab or generally pierce the skin with something sharp.
You probably heard this word quite a lot during the pandemic when people were getting their Covid-19 vaccines, as piqûre is the informal word for injection. This is also the term used for a bee or insect sting.
But piquer has another meaning as well - colloquially, it means to steal or to informally take something, similar to ‘grab’ in English.
For example, you could use it to tell someone you had your wallet stolen on the train - Il a piqué mon portefeuille / he stole my wallet. A synonym would be voler (formal) or chiper (informal).
There is also another expression - piquer une tête - which refers to 'plunging head first' into water or simply taking a dip.
Use it like this
Il a essayé de me piquer mon téléphone, mais je me suis accrochée pour le garder. - He tried to steal my phone, but I held on to it.
L'abeille m'a piqué pendant que j'étais assis dans le jardin. - The bee stung me while I sat in the garden.
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Why do I need to know piquer?
Because the informal definition for this word might come in handy when taking crowded public transportation.
What does it mean?
Piquer - roughly pronounced pee-kay - technically means to sting, stab or generally pierce the skin with something sharp.
You probably heard this word quite a lot during the pandemic when people were getting their Covid-19 vaccines, as piqûre is the informal word for injection. This is also the term used for a bee or insect sting.
But piquer has another meaning as well - colloquially, it means to steal or to informally take something, similar to ‘grab’ in English.
For example, you could use it to tell someone you had your wallet stolen on the train - Il a piqué mon portefeuille / he stole my wallet. A synonym would be voler (formal) or chiper (informal).
There is also another expression - piquer une tête - which refers to 'plunging head first' into water or simply taking a dip.
Use it like this
Il a essayé de me piquer mon téléphone, mais je me suis accrochée pour le garder. - He tried to steal my phone, but I held on to it.
L'abeille m'a piqué pendant que j'étais assis dans le jardin. - The bee stung me while I sat in the garden.
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