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pencher

to lean, to tilt

verb pahn-SHEH Less Common
Body & Health Movement

Also means

to lean towards (incline)

Usage Note

Pencher can be transitive (pencher la tête = 'to tilt one's head') or intransitive (la tour penche = 'the tower leans'). The reflexive se pencher means 'to lean over/bend down', and se pencher sur un problème is an idiom meaning 'to examine a problem closely'. Je penche pour means 'I lean towards (a preference)'.

Examples

"Il se pencha pour ramasser son crayon."

Natural Translation

He leaned down to pick up his pencil.

Literal Translation

He leaned himself to pick up his pencil.

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