inflige

Inflige is a French verb form derived from infliger, meaning to inflict, impose, or cause something undesirable to be suffered by someone. The term is most commonly encountered in describing the act of presenting consequences such as harm, damage, punishment, or penalties.

Etymology and meaning

Infliger comes from Latin infligere, formed from in- “upon” and fligere “to strike.” The core sense in French mirrors the idea of laying something upon someone, whether physically, financially, or symbolically.

Usage and forms

Inflige appears in present tense in various person forms: je inflige, tu infliges, il inflige, nous infligeons, vous infligez, ils infligent. It is used with nouns denoting harm or penalties, for example: “Il inflige des dommages” (he inflicts damage), “Elle inflige une amende” (she imposes a fine). The phrase “infliger une punition” is common to express the act of imposing punishment. The verb can also be combined with nouns to describe obligations or consequences assigned by rules, laws, or actions.

Context and translation

In English, the corresponding verb is inflict. In French, infliger is the standard term for describing the act of causing something unpleasant to be endured by someone, rather than passive outcomes or accidents. The form inflige is specifically the third-person singular present tense and also appears as part of other conjugations.

See also

infliger, punition, dommages, sanction, dommages et intérêts.