cueillir

Cueillir is a French verb meaning to pick, pluck, or harvest, typically referring to fruit, flowers, or herbs gathered by hand. It can also be used in a broader sense to mean to collect or obtain things such as information, ideas, or rewards. In everyday language, cueillir often conveys action carried out with care and intention, as opposed to a large-scale or mechanical harvest.

Etymology and related terms: The verb comes from Old French cueillir, connected with the notion of gathering. The exact Latin precursors are uncertain, but the sense centers on gathering or collecting items. Related forms include the noun la cueillette (the act of gathering) and the agents cueilleur (male) and cueilleuse (female).

Grammar and conjugation: Cueillir is a transitive verb with irregular present-tense stem. Present: je cueille, tu cueilles, il cueille, nous cueillons, vous cueillez, ils cueillent. Past participle: cueilli, which agrees in gender and number with a preceding direct object (par exemple: j’ai cueilli des cerises; les cerises que j’ai cueillies). Imperfect: je cueillais, tu cueillais, il cueillait, nous cueillions, vous cueilliez, ils cueillaient. Future: je cueillerai, tu cueilleras, il cueillera, nous cueillerons, vous cueillerez, ils cueilleront. Subjunctive present: que je cueille, que tu cueilles, qu’il cueille, que nous cueillions, que vous cueilliez, qu’ils cueillent. Gerund: en cueillant.

Usage notes: In agriculture, cueillir often implies selecting ripe produce, whereas récolter refers to harvesting crops on a larger or collective scale. Metaphorically, it can mean to reap or gather results, fruits of labor, or information. Common derivatives include la cueillette and the agents le cueilleur/la cueilleuse.