débarrasser

Debarrasser is a French verb with two core uses. In its non-pronominal sense it means to remove or clear away something from a place or surface, for example to clear a table or to remove a nuisance. In its pronominal use, se débarrasser de quelque chose means to get rid of or discard that thing, often a habit, object, or concern.

The pronominal form se débarrasser de takes de plus a noun or pronoun, and is used with the reflexive pronoun: je me débarrasse, tu te débarrasses, il se débarrasse, nous nous débarrassons, vous vous débarrassez, ils se débarrassent. The past participle agrees with the subject when used with être: je me suis débarrassé(e). This construction is common with expressions about personal or emotional relief as well as practical removal.

The verb can also be used transitively with a direct object in the sense of freeing someone from something burdensome: débarrasser quelqu’un de quelque chose. Examples include suffering relief or liberation, as in Le médecin l’a débarrassé de sa douleur, or des charges inutiles that a policy aims to débarrasser les citoyens de leurs obligations. In everyday language, débarrasser is widely used in idiomatic phrases such as débarrasser la table (to clear the table) or débarrasser le passage (to clear a path or make way).

Etymology traces to dé- plus barrasser, an older verb related to clearing or removing obstacles. As a regular -er verb, débarrasser follows standard conjugation patterns, with the reflexive form adapting as described above. The term covers both practical actions (clearing surfaces) and figurative acts of liberation or disposal.