couper

French

Etymology

From Old French coper, colper (“to cut off”), probably, derived from cop (“blow”), colp (modern coup), with its meaning coming from the idea of cutting off with a blow. It may correspond to a Vulgar Latin verb *colpāre, syncopated form of *colaphāre, from Latin colaphus (compare Old Spanish golpar, colpar, Old Portuguese golpar, golbar). Alternatively, possibly from Vulgar Latin *cuppāre (“to behead”), from Latin caput (“head”), although this is unlikely.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ku.pe/
  • audio(file)

Verb

couper

  1. to cut, cut up, to chop
  2. to cut off, to keep out
  3. to dilute (with water)
  4. (reflexive, se couper, of leather) to crack

Conjugation
Conjugation of couper (see also Appendix:French verbs)
present participle coupant
/ku.pɑ̃/
past participle coupé
/ku.pe/
infinitive
simple couper
compound avoir + past participle
gerund1
simple coupant
/ku.pɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses)		 present coupe
/kup/		 coupes
/kup/		 coupe
/kup/		 coupons
/ku.pɔ̃/		 coupez
/ku.pe/		 coupent
/kup/
imperfect coupais
/ku.pɛ/		 coupais
/ku.pɛ/		 coupait
/ku.pɛ/		 coupions
/ku.pjɔ̃/		 coupiez
/ku.pje/		 coupaient
/ku.pɛ/
past historic2 coupai
/ku.pe/		 coupas
/ku.pa/		 coupa
/ku.pa/		 coupâmes
/ku.pam/		 coupâtes
/ku.pat/		 coupèrent
/ku.pɛʁ/
future couperai
/ku.pʁe/		 couperas
/ku.pʁa/		 coupera
/ku.pʁa/		 couperons
/ku.pʁɔ̃/		 couperez
/ku.pʁe/		 couperont
/ku.pʁɔ̃/
conditional couperais
/ku.pʁɛ/		 couperais
/ku.pʁɛ/		 couperait
/ku.pʁɛ/		 couperions
/ku.pə.ʁjɔ̃/		 couperiez
/ku.pə.ʁje/		 couperaient
/ku.pʁɛ/
(compound
tenses)		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses)		 present coupe
/kup/		 coupes
/kup/		 coupe
/kup/		 coupions
/ku.pjɔ̃/		 coupiez
/ku.pje/		 coupent
/kup/
imperfect2 coupasse
/ku.pas/		 coupasses
/ku.pas/		 coupât
/ku.pa/		 coupassions
/ku.pa.sjɔ̃/		 coupassiez
/ku.pa.sje/		 coupassent
/ku.pas/
(compound
tenses)		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — coupe
/kup/		 — coupons
/ku.pɔ̃/		 coupez
/ku.pe/		 —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 Only usable with preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, the past historic, past anterior, imperfect subjunctive and pluperfect subjunctive tenses may be found to have been replaced with the indicative present perfect, indicative pluperfect, present subjunctive and past subjunctive tenses respectively (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms
Derived terms
  • à-coup
  • contre-coupe
  • cou-coupé
  • coup-de-poing
  • coupe-air
  • coupe-ballot
  • coupe-batterie
  • coupe-bourgeon
  • coupe-bourse
  • coupe-cercle
  • coupe-choux
  • coupe-cigares
  • coupe-circuit
  • coupe-collets
  • coupe-cors
  • coupe-coupe
  • coupe-faim
  • coupe-feu
  • coupe-file
  • coupe-filet
  • coupe-foin

See also
See also

Further reading

Anagrams
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