accorder

/a.kɔʁ.de/
verbIntermediate💡 to agree, to grant, to tune
formal

To agree or come to an agreement with someone.

Les deux parties ont accordé leurs versions.

Both parties agreed on their versions.

💡

Often used in formal or legal contexts.

formal

To grant or give something, often in a formal or official context.

Le gouvernement a accordé des subventions aux entreprises.

The government granted subsidies to businesses.

💡

Common in legal, financial, or administrative contexts.

technical

To tune or adjust something, especially a musical instrument.

Il a accordé son violon avant le concert.

He tuned his violin before the concert.

💡

Technical usage in music, often referring to tuning instruments.

Collocations

accorder un prêtto grant a loanaccorder une subventionto grant a subsidyaccorder un accordto reach an agreementaccorder un instrumentto tune an instrument

Related Phrases

accorder ses violonsidiom
to get one's act together

💡Pro Tip

Formal vs. Informal Use

'Accorder' is often used in formal contexts, especially in legal, financial, or administrative language. In informal speech, it can be replaced by simpler verbs like 'donner' or 'accorder'.

Gold Rule

Prepositions with 'accorder'

'Accorder' is often followed by the preposition 'à' when referring to granting something to someone (e.g., 'accorder un prêt à quelqu'un').

📖Word Origin

From Old French 'accorder', from Latin 'accordare', meaning 'to agree' or 'to bring into harmony'.

📝Usage Notes

The verb 'accorder' is highly versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, depending on the subject matter.

Word Breakdown

ac-
to, toward
prefix
+
-cord-
heart, agreement
root
+
-er
verb suffix
suffix
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais