bavarder

Bavarder is a French verb meaning to chat or talk informally, often at length. It is typically intransitive and used with prepositions such as avec or de, for example bavarder avec quelqu’un or bavarder de quelque chose. The activity is usually casual and not highly formal, and bavarder can carry a sense of light, everyday conversation or, when about others, gossip.

Etymology and classification: bavarder is a regular -er verb and belongs to the first conjugation. It is derived from the adjective bavard, meaning talkative or chatty, and the noun bavard, referring to a chatterbox. The exact origin is traceable to Old French, with the sense of speaking idly or at length established in Middle French and carried into modern usage.

Conjugation and forms: as an -er verb, bavarder follows the standard endings. Present tense: je bavarde, tu bavardes, il/elle bavarde, nous bavardons, vous bavardez, ils bavardent. Passé composé: j’ai bavardé. Imperfect: bavardais, bavardais, bavardait, bavardions, bavardiez, bavardaient. Future: bavarderai. Subjunctive: que je bavarde. Imperative: bavarde, bavardons, bavardez.

Usage notes: common collocations include bavarder avec quelqu’un (to chat with someone) and bavarder de quelque chose (to chatter about something). The term often appears in informal contexts and can imply trivial or leisurely talk; when used about others, it may suggest gossip. Synonyms include papoter, discuter (more neutral), and causer (informal). Bavarder is widely used in modern French across regions such as France, Belgium, and Quebec, though its tone remains casual and less suited to formal writing.