What does gêner in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word gêner in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use gêner in French.

The word gêner in French means disturb, bother, embarrass, annoy, obstruct, be in each other's way, not hesitate to do, Do you mind!, Just watch me!. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word gêner

disturb, bother

verbe transitif (déranger)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Tu ne me gênes jamais lorsque tu passes à l'improviste.
You never bother me when you drop by unannounced.

embarrass

verbe transitif (embarrasser, mettre mal à l'aise)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Cette question gêne le directeur. Tous ces cadeaux me gênent : je ne les mérite pas !
This question makes the manager uncomfortable.

annoy

verbe transitif (causer une gêne physique)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Mes lunettes me gênent quand je veux faire du sport. Ce gros sac me gêne quand je marche.
This big bag gets in the way when I'm walking.

obstruct

verbe transitif (entraver)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Des branches gênaient la circulation.
The branches were obstructing the traffic.

be in each other's way

verbe pronominal (se déranger)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Nous nous gênons à cinq dans ma chambre.
With five of us in my room, we are in each other's way.

not hesitate to do

locution verbale (ne pas hésiter à faire [qch])

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Si mon voisin faisait trop de bruit, je ne me gênerais pas pour le lui dire.
If my neighbour was making too much noise, I wouldn't hesitate to tell him so.

Do you mind!

(péjoratif (c'est malpoli) (indignant)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")
Dites donc, il ne faut pas se gêner ! Vous pourriez demander !

Just watch me!

(je vais le faire quand même) (colloquial)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Si je vais oser lui demander ? Je vais me gêner !

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of gêner in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.