Difficulty Level
intermediate
Translations
🇩🇪 kauen
, 🇪🇸 masticar
, 🇮🇹 masticare
, 🇵🇹 mascar
, 🇨🇳 咀嚼
, 🇯🇵 噛む
, 🇰🇷 씹다
, 🇸🇦 تنقّص
, 🇮🇳 चबाना
Usage Examples
- Je mâche toujours du chewing‑gum pendant le trajet.
- Elle mâche lentement son repas pour le bien digérer.
- Il a mâché son stylo parce qu’il était trop anxieux.
Etymology
**Mâcher** comes from the Latin verb **mācĕre** ‘to chew, grind’, itself borrowed from the Greek *μακέω* (makēō). In Old French the word appeared as *mache* or *machier*, retaining the sense of grinding with the teeth. The modern spelling “mâcher” reflects the long vowel pronunciation that developed during the transition from Middle to Modern French.
Synonyms
gommer
croquer
grignoter
mastiquer
gnasher
mouliner
broyer
Antonyms
avaler
gober
déglutir
ingérer