déchargent

Déchargent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb décharger. It is used with ils or elles and translates roughly as “they unload” or “they are unloading.” The base verb décharger covers several senses centered on removing a load or releasing stored energy, and déchargent is the standard form in contexts involving multiple subjects performing the action.

Etymology and scope: Décharger is built from the prefix de- (removal, release) attached to charger (to load). The term has medieval roots and has expanded in modern French to include unloading cargo, discharging a firearm or device, and releasing stored electrical energy. In some senses, it also appears in figurative expressions such as venting a burden or relieving pressure.

Usage and senses: The primary sense is physical unloading, as in logistics and transport: Ils déchargent les marchandises du navire. In a weapons context, décharger can mean to remove ammunition from a firearm: Ils déchargent l’arme. In electrical or technical contexts, it can mean to discharge a battery, capacitor, or similar device: Ils déchargent les batteries. The verb is transitive, typically taking a direct object corresponding to what is unloaded or discharged. A related reflexive form, se décharger, describes a battery or device losing its charge or a person unloading emotional burden, e.g., se décharger de sa colère, though this uses a different construction.

See also: charger, déchargement, décharge (noun), déchargé. These terms share the core idea of removing, releasing, or emptying a load, whether physical, energetic, or emotional.