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French prefix quiz: re-, dé- and changes of action

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Answer twelve French word-building questions on repeating, undoing and reversing actions, with context traps such as regarder, rentrer and déménager.

In short

Re- often means “again” or “back”; dé- can signal undoing, removal or reversal. Treat those meanings as clues, then check the whole verb in context. Regarder means “to look at”, and déménager means “to move home”.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A person unpacking plain cardboard moving boxes in a French apartment, rolled blanket and unmarked books nearby.
Déballer means to unpack. Illustration: Atelier
Study first: changes you can picture in an action
Starting actionChanged actionWhat changes
lirerelireRead again.
fairerefaireDo again or redo.
brancherdébrancherDisconnect a plug or device.
débrancherrebrancherConnect it again.
faire un nœuddéfaire un nœudUndo the knot.
chargerdéchargerUnload something; also discharge in other contexts.
emballerdéballerUnwrap or unpack.
bloquerdébloquerUnblock; free what was blocked.

Learn a whole pair when both verbs are useful. In débrancher → rebrancher, the action returns to an earlier state. In relire, you do the same action again. English may need a different verb altogether: décharger un camion is “unload a lorry”.

What do the prefixes re- and dé- mean in French?

regarderto look at; to watch

Focus: The opening letters do not mean “guard again”.

Nous regardons un film ce soir.
We’re watching a film this evening.

rentrerto go or come home; to go back in

Focus: The context can express a return, with no earlier entry shown.

Je rentre chez moi après le travail.
I go home after work.

déménagerto move home

Focus: This is the established verb for moving; it is not undoing housework.

Nous déménageons à Lille en juin.
We’re moving to Lille in June.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    You have read the email once and want to check it again. Choose the verb.J’ai déjà lu ce courriel, mais je vais le ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    relire. Relire repeats the action of reading. The earlier reading is explicit in the context.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    The calculation is wrong. You decide to do it again.Ce résultat est faux. Il faut ___ le calcul.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    refaire. Refaire un calcul means doing the calculation again to obtain a corrected result.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    The printer was unplugged yesterday. Connect it again.L’imprimante est débranchée. Tu peux la ___ ?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    rebrancher. Rebrancher restores the connection after the printer has been unplugged.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Take the plug out of the socket before moving the device.Avant de déplacer l’appareil, il faut le ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    débrancher. Débrancher disconnects the device from the socket; the movement described is removal.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    The knot is too tight. You want to undo it.Je vais ___ ce nœud.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    défaire. Défaire un nœud undoes it. Refaire would make the knot again.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    The boxes are in the lorry. Take them out at the destination.Nous sommes arrivés. Il faut ___ le camion.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    décharger. Décharger le camion means unloading it. Opening the individual boxes would be déballer.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    The parcel has arrived. Open the packaging.Le colis vient d’arriver. Je vais le ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    déballer. Déballer le colis removes or opens its packaging; remballer would pack it up again.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Your account is blocked. Support will make it accessible again.Le service d’assistance va ___ mon compte.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    débloquer. Débloquer un compte removes the block; it restores access rather than adding a connection.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Interpret rentre in this sentence.À 18 heures, elle rentre chez elle.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    She goes home.. Rentrer chez soi means going home. The sentence gives no count of earlier entries.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    What does the opening re- tell you here?Ils regardent le concert à la télévision.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The whole verb means watch; it is not “guard again”.. Regarder has its own established meaning. Do not split it into an English guess.

  11. Question 11No account needed
    What change is planned?Ils déménagent à Lille le mois prochain.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    They will move home.. Déménager is the ordinary verb for moving home; the new town makes the meaning clear.

  12. Question 12No account needed
    You went downstairs, came back up, then go downstairs once more. Choose the verb.J’ai oublié mon sac en bas. Je dois ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    redescendre. Descendre gives the downward direction and re- marks another descent.

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