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façonner

to shape, to fashion

verb fah-soh-NEH Rare
Arts & Culture Visual Arts

Origin: From façon (manner, making), from Latin factio (act of making).

Also means

to mould, to form (character)

Usage Note

Façonner applies both to physical shaping (e.g., façonner de l'argile, to shape clay) and to the figurative moulding of personality, habits, or ideas. The noun façonnage refers to the manufacturing or shaping process, used in industry. Façon itself means 'manner' or 'making', and de toute façon ('anyway') is one of the most common French phrases.

Examples

"Il façonne l'argile avec soin."

Natural Translation

He shapes the clay carefully.

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