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accompagner
/a.kɔ̃.pa.ɲe/
accompany
Elle accompagne son frère à l'école tous les matins.
She accompanies her brother to school every morning.
neutral
To go somewhere with someone as a companion or escort
Il a accompagné ses parents en voyage.
He accompanied his parents on the trip.
Can imply physical presence or support without implying direction.
neutral
To add something to something else to enhance it or make it complete
Ce vin accompagne parfaitement le fromage.
This wine perfectly accompanies the cheese.
Common in culinary contexts.
neutral
To occur or exist with something else
La fièvre accompagne souvent la grippe.
Fever often accompanies the flu.
Used in medical or descriptive contexts.
Collocations
accompagner quelqu'un àto accompany someone toaccompagner un plat avecto accompany a dish withêtre accompagné deto be accompanied by
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Prepositions with 'accompagner'
Use 'à' for movement toward a place ('accompagner quelqu'un à la gare') and 'de' for accompaniment in a figurative sense ('accompagner une décision de soutien').
Gold Rule
Physical vs. Figurative Use
For physical movement together, use 'accompagner' with 'à'. For supportive roles without movement, use 'accompagner' with 'dans' or no preposition.
Word Origin
From Old French 'acompagner' (12th c.), from Vulgar Latin *accompaniare 'to join as a companion', from Latin 'ad-' (to) + 'companio' (companion, from 'com-' (with) + 'panis' (bread)).
Usage Notes
In French, 'accompagner' can imply a supportive role without implying direction (e.g., 'Il l'a accompagné dans sa décision' = He supported her in her decision). In English, 'accompany' often implies physical presence or movement together.
Word Breakdown
ac-
to, toward
prefixcompagner
companion (from Latin 'companio')
rootDictionnaire Français-Anglais