Usage Note
Déchiffrer covers both concrete decoding (reading bad handwriting, cracking a code) and figurative interpretation (déchiffrer le comportement de quelqu'un = to read someone's behaviour). It is stronger than lire (to read) and implies effort. Le déchiffrage (music sight-reading) is its specialist use in music education.
Examples
"Il a du mal à déchiffrer cette écriture."
Natural Translation
He has trouble deciphering this handwriting.
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