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crever

to burst, to puncture

verb kruh-VEH Less Common

Also means

to die (informal)

Usage Note

Crever literally means to burst or puncture — crever un pneu means to get a flat tyre. In informal and familiar speech it also means to die (il a crevé — he croaked), to be exhausted (je suis crevé — I'm dead tired), or to starve (crever de faim — to be starving). These colloquial uses are very common in spoken French but should be avoided in formal contexts.

Examples

"On a crevé sur l'autoroute."

Natural Translation

We got a flat tyre on the motorway.

Literal Translation

One has burst on the motorway

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