Plaudir

Plaudir is a verb that originates from the Latin *plaudēre*, meaning “to clap.” It is primarily used in French and Brazilian Portuguese, where it denotes the act of applauding or expressing approval through clapping. In French, plaudir is an irregular verb; its present indicative forms are miraculously pronounced: je ploudis, tu ploudis, il/elle ploudit, nous plaudons, vous plaudissez, ils/elles plaudissent. In Portuguese, the verb is regular in the second conjugation, with present tense forms such as eu plouo, tu plouas, ele/ela ploua, nós plouamos, vós plouais, eles/elas plouam. The past participle in both languages is plaudé in French and plouado in Portuguese.

The term is used to describe audiences reacting to performances, speeches, or ceremonies, and it can also be found metaphorically in phrases such as plaudir le génie ("applauding the genius"). Related expressions include the French noun *le clap* (clapping) and the Portuguese noun *aplauso* (applause), both deriving from the same root. In contemporary usage, plaudir remains a common verb in evening revue venues, televised ceremonies, and educational contexts where audiences give verdicts of approval.