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papoter

to chat, gossip

verb pah-poh-TEH Rare
Communication Speech

Usage Note

Papoter is informal and conveys light, aimless chatter rather than serious conversation; the related noun papotage means idle gossip. It is conjugated as a regular -er verb. The tone is always familiar — use bavarder in neutral or formal contexts where casual connotation is unwanted.

Examples

"Elles papotaient autour d'un café."

Natural Translation

They were chatting over a coffee.

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