What does reculer in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word reculer in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use reculer in French.

The word reculer in French means go back, go backwards, go backward, move back, move backwards, move backward, withdraw, diminish, retreat, move back, push back, postpone, step back, move back, not be afraid of anything, go back a space, go back one space, raise the retirement age, increase the retirement age, put the clocks back, delay the inevitable, postpone the inevitable, take a step back to see the big picture. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word reculer

go back, go backwards, go backward, move back, move backwards, move backward

verbe intransitif (aller en arrière)

L'âne refuse d'avancer et même de reculer. // Attention, le camion recule. // Le conducteur avait oublié de serrer le frein à main et sa voiture a reculé sur 10 mètres.
Be careful; the lorry is reversing.

withdraw

verbe intransitif (armée, troupes,... : se retirer)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Sous le coup de nos attaques, l'ennemi reculait.
Under the blast of our attacks, the enemy withdrew.

diminish

verbe intransitif (baisser)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Le chômage semble reculer.
Unemployment seems to be diminishing.

retreat

verbe intransitif (figuré (renoncer)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Il recule devant les difficultés.
He retreats before difficulties.

move back, push back

verbe transitif (déplacer vers l'arrière)

Nous avons reculé le canapé pour être un peu moins près de la télé.
We moved the couch back to be a bit farther from the television.

postpone

verbe transitif (retarder, repousser)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Nous avons dû reculer la date du mariage.
We had to postpone the date of the wedding.

step back, move back

verbe pronominal (se déplacer vers l'arrière)

Je me suis reculé pour mieux voir le tableau.
I stepped back to see the painting better.

not be afraid of anything

locution verbale (tout oser)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

go back a space, go back one space

locution verbale (Jeu : aller à la case précédente) (games)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Au jeu de l'oie quand tu arrives là, tu recules d'une case.

raise the retirement age, increase the retirement age

locution verbale (augmenter l'âge de la retraite)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

put the clocks back

locution verbale (retarder d'une heure)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

delay the inevitable, postpone the inevitable

locution verbale (retarder l'inévitable)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

take a step back to see the big picture

locution verbale (prendre du recul) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of reculer in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.