Pick meanings in French

choisir

Example:

I need to pick a movie for tonight.

Je dois choisir un film pour ce soir.

She picked the red dress for the party.

Elle a choisi la robe rouge pour la fête.

Usage: informalContext: Used when making a selection or choice.

Note: Commonly used in everyday conversations when selecting an option.

cueillir

Example:

We went to the garden to pick some flowers.

Nous sommes allés au jardin pour cueillir des fleurs.

He picked apples from the tree.

Il a cueilli des pommes de l'arbre.

Usage: informalContext: Used in the context of gathering or harvesting.

Note: Often used in agricultural or gardening contexts.

prendre

Example:

Can you pick this up for me?

Peux-tu prendre ça pour moi ?

I will pick you up at 5 PM.

Je viendrai te prendre à 17 heures.

Usage: informalContext: Used when physically taking or lifting something.

Note: Often used in combination with other verbs to indicate retrieval.

déduire

Example:

From his actions, we can pick that he is not interested.

Par ses actions, nous pouvons déduire qu'il n'est pas intéressé.

She picked up on the tension in the room.

Elle a déduit la tension dans la pièce.

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used when inferring or deducing information.

Note: Often related to understanding subtle cues or hints.

choisir (son équipe, etc.)

Example:

He was picked for the team.

Il a été choisi pour l'équipe.

She picked her friends to join her project.

Elle a choisi ses amis pour rejoindre son projet.

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used in contexts where selections are made for teams or groups.

Note: Common in sports and collaborative environments.

gratter

Example:

He picked at his food, not really eating.

Il grattait sa nourriture, ne mangeant pas vraiment.

She picked at the scab on her knee.

Elle grattait la croûte sur son genou.

Usage: informalContext: Used when referring to lightly touching or scratching something.

Note: Often implies a casual or absent-minded action.

choose

To select from a number of possibilities.

Example: She couldn't decide which dress to choose for the party.

Note: While 'pick' often implies a quick selection, 'choose' suggests a more thoughtful decision-making process.

select

To carefully choose from a group of items or options.

Example: Please select the appropriate option from the menu.

Note: Similar to 'choose,' 'select' implies a deliberate decision and typically involves making a choice from a range of options.

opt

To make a choice or decision from a range of possibilities.

Example: I think I'll opt for the chicken instead of the beef.

Note: While 'pick' can be more casual, 'opt' often suggests a formal or considered decision.

decide

To make up one's mind or reach a conclusion after consideration.

Example: It took him a while to decide on which movie to watch.

Note: Unlike 'pick,' 'decide' emphasizes the process of making a choice after careful thought or deliberation.

Pick up

To collect or gather someone or something from a particular place.

Example: I'll pick you up at 7 p.m. for the movie.

Note: The phrase 'pick up' adds the notion of gathering or collecting in addition to just 'pick'.

Pick out

To choose or select something carefully from a group of things.

Example: She picked out a beautiful dress for the party.

Note: In 'pick out', there is a deliberate act of selection involved.

Pick on

To repeatedly criticize, tease, or bully someone.

Example: Stop picking on your little brother!

Note: The phrase 'pick on' implies targeting or singling out someone for negative attention.

Pick at

To eat or touch something with small movements, often without much interest.

Example: She kept picking at her food and didn't eat much.

Note: When 'pick' is used alone, it usually refers to a more general action of selecting or choosing.

Pick off

To shoot or eliminate individual targets from a group.

Example: The sniper picked off several enemy soldiers from a distance.

Note: The phrase 'pick off' emphasizes the action of targeting and eliminating one by one.

Pick and choose

To select only the best or most desirable options from a range of choices.

Example: You can't just pick and choose which tasks you want to do.

Note: This phrase suggests being selective and choosing only what is most advantageous or convenient.

Pick one's brain

To ask someone for advice or information by talking to them in order to benefit from their knowledge or expertise.

Example: I need to pick your brain about the best places to visit in the city.

Note: The phrase 'pick one's brain' implies seeking insight or knowledge from someone.

Pick a fight

To deliberately provoke or initiate a conflict or argument.

Example: He always seems to pick a fight with his classmates over small things.

Note: The phrase 'pick a fight' indicates intentionally starting a confrontation.

Pick a lock

To open a lock without the correct key using tools or techniques.

Example: He managed to pick the lock and get inside the house.

Note: The slang term 'pick a lock' specifically refers to opening a lock illicitly, contrasting with the original meaning of 'pick' related to choosing or selecting.

Pick of the litter

Refers to the best or most desirable option among a group of choices.

Example: The puppy with the floppy ears was the pick of the litter.

Note: In this context, 'pick' is used to describe the selection of the best or top choice, whereas in its original form, 'pick' relates to choosing from a variety of options.

Pick one's nose

To use one's finger to remove nasal mucus from one's nostrils.

Example: It's rude to pick your nose in public.

Note: The slang term 'pick one's nose' has a negative connotation of engaging in an unhygienic or socially unacceptable behavior, differing from the general act of picking as selecting or choosing.

Pick someone's pocket

To steal from someone's pocket or bag without them noticing.

Example: Beware of pickpockets in crowded places; they might try to pick your pocket.

Note: The slang term 'pick someone's pocket' involves a criminal act of stealing, contrasting with the original meaning of 'pick' related to selection or extraction.

Pick someone's brain

To ask someone for information or advice by engaging in conversation or discussion.

Example: I need to pick your brain about the best places to visit in the city.

Note: While 'pick someone's brain' retains the concept of selection from the original meaning of 'pick', it shifts to extracting knowledge or insights rather than physical objects.

I can't decide which dress to pick for the party.

Je ne peux pas décider quelle robe choisir pour la fête.

He picked some flowers from the garden.

Il a cueilli des fleurs dans le jardin.

She picked up the phone and answered the call.

Elle a pris le téléphone et a répondu à l'appel.

Pick - Verb (Verb) / Verb, base form (Verb, base form)

Lemma: pick

Conjugations

Noun, plural (Noun, plural): picks, pick

Noun, singular or mass (Noun, singular or mass): pick

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): picked

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): picking

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): picks

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): pick

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): pick

Syllabification and Stress

pick Contains 1 syllables: pick

Phonetic transcription: ˈpik

pick , ˈpik (The red syllable is stressed)

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

pick: 700 - 800 (Extremely common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

Pick