Entendre

Entendre is a French verb meaning to hear, to listen, and by extension to understand. In everyday usage it covers physical hearing, as in J'ai entendu un bruit, and cognitive comprehension, as in Je n'ai pas entendu ce qu'il a dit. It can also express intention in phrases such as j'entends faire quelque chose, meaning I intend or plan to do something. Common idioms include entendre dire, meaning “to hear that,” and entendre parler de, meaning “to hear about,” as well as se faire entendre, meaning “to make oneself heard,” and s'entendre bien ou mal, meaning “to get along well or poorly.”

Conjugation and forms: Entendre is a regular -re verb with a stem change in some forms. The present tense forms are je entends, tu entends, il entend, nous entendons, vous entendez, ils entendent. The past participle is entendu, used with the auxiliary avoir (J'ai entendu). The verb also appears in constructions such as entendre parler de, entendre dire, and s'entendre.

Double entendre and English usage: In English, the noun entendre is most familiar through the phrase double entendre, borrowed from French. It denotes a remark with two meanings, typically a straightforward sense and a suggestive or risqué second meaning. The term is widely used in literature, theatre, and media to describe wordplay or innuendo.

Etymology and related terms: The French verb derives from Old French entendre, from Latin intendere. The related noun entente means mutual understanding or agreement, as in entente cordiale. The forms and senses of entendre reflect themes of listening, understanding, and intention that recur across related words in French.