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gagner

to win, to earn

verb gah-NYAY Common

Also means

to gain

Usage Note

Gagner covers both winning a competition (gagner un match) and earning money (gagner sa vie = 'to earn a living'). The related noun le gagnant means 'the winner.' A useful idiom: gagner du temps means 'to save time' or 'to buy time,' which surprises learners expecting a different verb.

Examples

"Notre équipe a gagné le match."

Natural Translation

Our team won the game.

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