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oser

to dare

verb o-ZEH Less Common
Mind & Emotions Personality

Usage Note

Oser is a semi-auxiliary that takes a bare infinitive: j'ose espérer ('I dare to hope'). In formal writing, si j'ose dire ('if I may say so') is a polite hedging phrase. In the negative it often expresses hesitation: il n'ose pas lui parler ('he doesn't dare speak to her').

Examples

"Elle n'ose pas demander de l'aide."

Natural Translation

She doesn't dare ask for help.

Literal Translation

She not-dares not to-ask of the-help

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