Conter (en. To tell)

[kɔ̃.te]

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
verb
To narrate a story or events.
He loves to tell travel tales.
Il aime conter des récits de voyage.
To state a number or a quantity.
She counted the stars in the sky.
Elle a compté les étoiles dans le ciel.
To refer to something real or imaginary to discuss it.
He tells legends from the Middle Ages.
Il conte des légendes du Moyen Âge.

Etymology

From Old French 'conter', derived from Latin 'computare'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

to sweet-talk
To flatter someone with sweet words.
conter fleurette
to tell tall tales
To tell lies or implausible stories.
conter des salades
to count the stars
To be dreamy or idealistic.
conter les étoiles

Related Words

told
Past participle of to tell.
conté
narration
The action of telling stories.
narration
tale
A generally short and fictional story.
conte

Slang Meanings

To tell lies.
He started to tell stories, but we quickly understood he was spinning yarns.
Il a commencé à conter, mais on a vite compris qu'il racontait des bobards.
To speak in an exaggerated manner.
Don't exaggerate too much, we know it's more complicated than that.
Ne conte pas trop, on sait que c'est plus compliqué que ça.