sappuyer

Sappuyer, written as s'appuyer in ordinary usage, is a French pronominal verb with both a physical and a figurative sense. It generally means to lean on or against something for support, or to rely on someone or something as a basis or source of help.

In its physical sense, s'appuyer describes making contact with a solid support to steady oneself. Common constructions include s'appuyer sur or s'appuyer contre: on peut s'appuyer sur une poutre for physical support, or s'appuyer contre un mur to rest against a wall. The choice between sur and contre can convey whether the support is used as a base (sur) or as a touchpoint (contre).

In its figurative sense, s'appuyer means to rely on or to base something on a source of support. Expressions such as s'appuyer sur des données, s'appuyer sur l'expérience de quelqu'un, or s'appuyer sur des principes are frequent. It can imply that actions, arguments, or decisions are grounded in evidence, experience, or beliefs, often followed by sur. The verb is highly versatile and common in both spoken and written French.

Grammatical notes: s'appuyer is a pronominal verb and uses être as its auxiliary in compound tenses. The past participle agrees with the subject: je me suis appuyé(e), tu t'es appuyé(e), il s'est appuyé, elle s'est appuyée, nous nous sommes appuyé(e)s, etc. The noun phrases that follow maintain standard concordance, with sur or contre as appropriate.

Etymology traces the word to the Old French verb appuyer, connected with the sense of pressing or resting against a support.