ouvrir

Inherited from Middle French ouvrir, from Old French ovrir, obrir, from Vulgar Latin *operīre, alteration of Classical Latin aperīre (“to open”), perhaps under the influence of cooperīre (“to cover”) (whence couvrir). Cognate with Italian aprire; Portuguese and Spanish abrir; Catalan obrir.

• IPA^(key): /u.vʁiʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• (Louisiana) IPA^(key): [uvæɾ], [ɾuvɾɪɾ]
• Rhymes: -iʁ

ouvrir

1. (transitive) to open
2. (transitive) to begin, to initiate

   À peine arrivé, il a ouvert les hostilités.

   He initiated hostilities almost as soon as he arrived.

3. (reflexive) to open (of a door or a flower)
4. (reflexive) to open, to begin

   La séquence s’ouvre sur une scène de nuit.

   The sequence opens with a night scene.

5. to turn on, to switch on, to put on (of a device or an appliance)
6. to open it or the door, to answer it or the door, to get it

   On sonne à la porte. Je vais ouvrir.

   There's someone at the door; I'll open/answer/get it.

   Sophie, ouvre-moi, je voudrais te parler !

   Sophie, open the door; I want to talk to you!

   Allez, arrête tes bêtises et va ouvrir à Patrick ; il doit avoir froid dehors.

   Stop being silly and open the door for Patrick; he must be cold outside.

7. (reflexive) to cut something open, to gash something (of a part of one's body)

   Le gardien de but a plongé pour rattraper le ballon, s’est cogné contre le poteau et s’est ouvert l’arcade sourcilière.

   The goalkeeper dived to catch the ball, banged himself on the goalpost and cut his eyebrow open.

8. (reflexive) to open onto, to lead into (+ sur)

   Cette porte s’ouvre sur le jardin.

   This door opens onto the garden.

9. (intransitive) to open onto, to overlook, to look onto (of a door or a window) (+ sur)

   La porte ouvre sur la rue.

   The door opens onto the street.

10. (reflexive) to open up to, to be open to, to be exposed to, to get a feel for (+ à)

    Sa fille s’est ouverte à la musique sur le piano familial.

    The girl got a feel for music playing her family's piano.

11. (reflexive) to open up to, to confide in (+ à)
12. to make, to create, to open up (e.g., a path)

This verb is conjugated like couvrir and offrir. It is conjugated like a regular -er verb in the present and imperfect indicative, present subjunctive, imperative, and present participle; it is conjugated like a regular -ir verb in the infinitive, future indicative, conditional, past historic, and imperfect subjunctive; and its past participle ouvert is irregular.

This verb is conjugated like couvrir and offrir. It is conjugated like a regular -er verb in the present and imperfect indicative, present subjunctive, imperative, and present participle; it is conjugated like a regular -ir verb in the infinitive, future indicative, conditional, past historic, and imperfect subjunctive; and its past participle ouvert is irregular.

• fermer

• ouvert
• ouverture

• “ouvrir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

From Old French ovrir.

ouvrir

1. to open

• French: ouvrir