What does plier in French mean?

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

The word plier in French means bend, fold, fold, fold, bend, bend, make yield to, defer, fold up, give in to , give way to, pack up and go, pack up shop, shut up shop, pack your bags, pack it in, hang up your spurs, buckle under the weight, bend double, double over, bend over backwards. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word plier

bend

verbe intransitif (prendre une forme courbe)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Les roseaux plient sous le vent.
The reeds bend before the wind.

fold

verbe transitif (replier)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Je plie le mètre pour le ranger.
I fold up the tape measure to put it away.

fold

verbe transitif (rabattre)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Je plie la lettre en trois avant de la mettre dans l'enveloppe.
I fold the letter in three before putting it in the envelope.

fold

verbe transitif (mettre en forme : le linge)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Il faut bien plier le linge si on ne veut par faire de mauvais plis.
You have to fold the washing properly if you don't want to end up with creases.

bend

verbe transitif (faire jouer une articulation)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Je plie les genoux pour me baisser.
I bend my knees to bend down.

bend

verbe transitif (courber [qch] de flexible)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Le vent plie le roseau mais ne le rompt pas.
The wind bends the reed but doesn't break it.

make yield to

verbe transitif (figuré (soumettre)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Vincent espère toujours plier son frère à sa volonté.
Vincent still hopes to bend his brother to his will.

defer

verbe intransitif (figuré (céder devant les ordres)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Les militaires plient sous le commandement.
Soldiers always defer to orders.

fold up

verbe pronominal (être articulé)

Ce canapé-lit se plie et se déplie.
This sofa bed folds up and folds out.

give in to , give way to

verbe pronominal (figuré (céder, se soumettre)

Il se plie toujours aux volontés de son chef.
He always gives way to what his boss wants.

pack up and go

locution verbale (familier (partir)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Après une semaine d'intempérie, les campeurs décidèrent de plier bagage.

pack up shop, shut up shop

locution verbale (familier (fermer définitivement) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

pack your bags

locution verbale (figuré, familier (s'en aller, partir) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

pack it in, hang up your spurs

locution verbale (argot (s'en aller, partir) (figurative)

buckle under the weight

locution verbale (céder à la pression physique)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

bend double, double over

(plier son dos à 90°)

bend over backwards

(figuré (faire tout son possible pour faire [qch]) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ma grand-mère se plie toujours en quatre pour me faire plaisir.
My grandmother always bends over backwards to make me happy.

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So now that you know more about the meaning of plier 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.