Skip to content

agenouiller

to kneel (down)

verb ah-zhuh-noo-YEH Rare

Usage Note

Agenouiller is almost always used reflexively: s'agenouiller means 'to kneel down'. The non-reflexive form is rare. It is used both literally (kneeling in prayer or respect) and figuratively — s'agenouiller devant quelqu'un means 'to bow down to someone'. The noun is agenouillement.

Examples

"Il s'est agenouillé devant l'autel."

Natural Translation

He knelt before the altar.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic