respirée

Respirée is the feminine past participle of the French verb respirer, meaning to breathe. It is used in compound tenses with the auxiliary aller or spend more widely with avoir, and, when preceding a following direct object, it agrees in gender and number with that object. For example: la brise qu’elle a respirée (the breeze that she breathed in). In other contexts, it can function as an adjective describing a feminine noun that has been subjected to breathing, though this usage is relatively rare and more common in literary prose.

Etymology and form: respirer comes from the Latin respirare, from re- (again) and spirare (to breathe). The feminine form respirée reflects standard French agreement rules for past participles used as adjectives or in relation to preceding direct objects. Its masculine counterpart is respire, with the full forms being respire (masc sing), respirée (fem sing), respirés (masc plural), respirées (fem plural).

Usage notes: In everyday speech, speakers more often use the simple past or present tenses of respirer rather than relying on the participle respirée. When the direct object is feminine and precedes the participle, agreement is required (as in la odeur qu’elle a respirée). Without a preceding object, the participle remains invariable in form with the auxiliary être or avoir, depending on the construction.

Related forms: respiré (masc sing), respirés (masc plural), respirées (fem plural). A closely related adjective is respirable, meaning breathable or capable of being breathed. See also respirer, respiration, and related phonology of French participles.