Bonjour à toutes et à tous ! Welcome to our weekly word study, where we learn and analyze a specific word in French.
Today’s word : Édulcorer in French.
Édulcorer in French – Écouter
The word Édulcorer in French is a verb. What does it mean and how do we conjugate it?
Édulcorer in French – What does it mean?
1. Donner à un aliment, à un médicament un goût sucré, par addition de matières sucrées ou de substances chimiques.
2. Atténuer la dureté d’expression, la rigueur, le caractère acerbe de quelque chose ; affadir, adoucir.
Édulcorer in French has 2 definitions. The first one means to sweeten something edible or medicine, with the help of sugar or any kind of sweetener.
The second definition has more of a figurative meaning. “Édulcorer” in that sense can mean “to tone down” or “to water down” or even “to dilute“.
Exemple : (1) Il faut édulcorer mon café avec de la Stévia. (I need to sweeten my coffee with Stevia)
(2) Marie édulcore son compte rendu de la semaine. (Marie is toning down her weekly report)
Édulcorer – Where does it come from?
“Édulcorer” comes from the latin word “dulcorare” and then “edulcorare” (both meaning “to sweeten”). These words are derived from “dulcis“, which means “sweet”.
How to conjugate the verb Édulcorer in French
The verb Édulcorer in French is a regular verb from the first group (verbs in -ER).
This is how you conjugate it in the present tense (le présent de l’indicatif):
J’édulcore
Tu édulcores
Il / elle / on édulcore
Nous édulcorons
Vous édulcorez
Ils / elles édulcorent
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Construct sentences with Édulcorer
It’s possible to only use the verb “édulcorer” followed by an object (édulcorer quelque chose).
There are also derivates from that verb, the main one being “édulcorant”, which means an artificial sweetener.
Édulcorant is a masculine noun, but you can also use it as an adjective (which means sweetening).
Édulcorant – masculine singular adjective
Édulcorante – feminine singular
Édulcorants – masculine plural
Édulcorantes – feminine plural.
For example :
Noun : L’aspartame est un édulcorant controversé. (Aspartame is a controversial sweetener)
Adjective : Le pouvoir édulcorant de la stévia est bien connu. (The sweetening power of stevia is well known)
Another adjective that you should know about is “édulcoré”. As “édulcorant” means “sweetening”, “édulcoré”, on the other hand, means “sweetened”.
Édulcoré – masculine singular adjective
Édulcorée – feminine singular
Édulcorés – masculine plural
Édulcorées – feminine plural.
For example :
Le Coca Zéro est en fait une boisson assez édulcorée. (Coke Zero is actually a rather sweetened drink)
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this week’s word. If you would like to check out more words, click here!
