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voleur

thief

noun vo-LUHR Less Common

Usage Note

Voleur is the masculine form; the feminine is voleuse. It derives from voler, which has the double meaning of 'to fly' and 'to steal' — making voler one of the most famous homonyms in French. The proverb l'occasion fait le larron ('opportunity makes the thief') is a close equivalent to the English saying.

Examples

"Le voleur a pris son portefeuille."

Natural Translation

The thief took his wallet.

Literal Translation

The thief has taken his wallet

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