Recule

Recule is a French word that primarily appears as a verb form. It is the third-person singular present indicative and the second-person singular imperative form of the verb reculer, which means to move backward or to retreat. For example, il recule means “he backs up,” andRecule! is the command form telling someone to step back. The verb also appears in other grammatical forms such as recules (you back up) and reculer (the infinitive).

In usage, reculer covers both literal and figurative movement. Literally, it can describe backing away from a danger, stepping backward, or a retreat by troops or a vehicle. Figuratively, it can express withdrawing from a position, reconsidering a course of action, or gaining perspective, as in prendre du recul, meaning to take a step back and reassess a situation.

Recule is closely related to the noun recul, which denotes a retreat or backward movement in a more abstract sense. While related, recul is the standard noun form, whereas recule remains a verb form and typically cannot replace recul in non-verb contexts.

Usage notes: Recule is common in everyday French, appearing in both spoken and written language. It should not be confused with other derived forms of reculer that alter the part of speech or tense. In practice, the meaning is determined by sentence structure and context, whether describing physical backward motion or a figurative withdrawal.