Lever or soulever: raise a hand, lift a lid, raise a question

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Choose lever or soulever with gestures, objects and questions. Compare present forms, read a short scene and test the phrases that change meaning.

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In short

Use lever for raising a hand or your eyes: lever la main, lever les yeux. Use soulever for lifting something away from its support, such as a lid, and for bringing up a question: soulever une question. Se lever means to get up or stand up.

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A learner raising one hand during a small adult class, a plain lidded box on the table.
A classroom gesture illustrates lever la main. Illustration: Atelier

What is the difference between lever and soulever?

leverto raise

Focus: the upward gesture or raised position

lever la main / les yeux

Lina lève la main pour poser une question.
Lina raises her hand to ask a question.

Je lève les yeux vers l’horloge.
I look up at the clock.

souleverto lift up

Focus: lifting something off a surface or uncovering what is underneath

soulever un couvercle / un coin du tapis

Il soulève le couvercle de la boîte.
He lifts the lid of the box.

Elle soulève un coin du tapis.
She lifts a corner of the rug.

The verbs overlap with some objects. Soulever makes the lifting away especially clear; lever often highlights the upward gesture. Weight is not the dividing line: you can soulever une feuille de papier, a sheet of paper.

Objects in the scene

How do you say “raise a point” in French?

Pendant la réunion
  1. Nora

    Tu veux parler ? Lève la main.

    Do you want to speak? Raise your hand.

  2. Sam

    Oui. Ce projet soulève une question : qui va payer ?

    Yes. This project raises a question: who is going to pay?

  3. Nora

    Le budget est confirmé. Cela devrait lever tes doutes.

    The budget is confirmed. That should clear up your doubts.

Learn these phrases as pairs
FrenchMeaning
soulever une questionbring up a question
soulever un problèmeraise an issue / create a problem
lever un douteclear up a doubt
lever une interdictionlift a ban
Study first: the present-tense accent changes
Subjectleversoulever
jelèvesoulève
nouslevonssoulevons
vouslevezsoulevez
ils / elleslèventsoulèvent

Je me lève à sept heures, puis je lève les yeux vers la fenêtre.

I get up at seven, then look up towards the window.

With me, the speaker gets up. With les yeux, the verb describes a gesture.

Question 1No account needed
Which phrase means bringing an issue into a discussion?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

soulever une question. Use soulever une question for an issue brought into a discussion.

Question 2No account needed
Complete with the present of soulever.Nous ___ le couvercle.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

soulevons. With nous, write soulevons, without a grave accent.

Question 3No account needed
Which sentence says “I get up at eight”?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je me lève à huit heures.. Getting up uses the reflexive pattern je me lève; keep me.

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