We tease each other without ever upsetting one another.
Avec elle, on ne s’embête jamais.
With her, we are never bored.
Arrête d’embêter ta sœur.
Stop pestering your sister.
Cette panne nous a bien embêtés pendant le voyage.
This breakdown caused us a lot of trouble during the trip.
Similar words
ennuyer
taquiner
se compliquer la vie
barber
agacer
harceler
gêner
raser
asticoter
importuner
Meanings
Cause worry or inconvenience
verb
social
informal
To cause someone worry, inconvenience, or mild frustration, often about a problem that is difficult to solve.
Examples
Ce retard m’embête beaucoup.
This delay really bothers me.
Je suis désolé de vous embêter si tard.
I am sorry to bother you so late.
Ça m’embête de refuser son invitation.
I feel bad about refusing the invitation.
Le bruit des travaux embête tout le quartier.
The construction noise bothers the whole neighbourhood.
Cette panne nous a bien embêtés pendant le voyage.
This breakdown caused us a lot of trouble during the trip.
Similar words
contrarier
gêner
importuner
agacer
ennuyer
enquiquiner
tourmenter
Bore or tire
verb
entertainment
informal
To make someone lose interest and feel tired because something is dull or goes on too long.
Examples
Ce film m’embête, on peut partir ?
This film is boring me, can we leave?
Les longs discours l’embêtent vite.
Long speeches quickly bore him.
J’ai peur de vous embêter avec mes histoires.
I am afraid of boring you with my stories.
Le cours les a embêtés toute la matinée.
The class bored them all morning.
Ce jeu n’embête jamais les enfants.
This game never bores the children.
Similar words
ennuyer
raser
barber
assommer
lasser
bassiner
Tease or pester
verb
social
informal
To tease or repeatedly pester someone, usually in a playful or mildly irritating way.
Examples
Arrête d’embêter ta sœur.
Stop pestering your sister.
Les enfants embêtent gentiment leur grand-père.
The children are playfully teasing their grandfather.
Il m’embête toujours à propos de mon accent.
He is always teasing me about my accent.
Ne l’embête pas, elle essaie de travailler.
Do not pester her, she is trying to work.
On se taquine sans jamais s’embêter méchamment.
We tease each other without ever upsetting one another.
Similar words
taquiner
chahuter
asticoter
charrier
agacer
harceler
Go to trouble or be bored
verb
everyday
informal
In the pronominal form, to make an effort that may not be worth it, or to experience boredom.
Examples
Ne t’embête pas à cuisiner, on commandera.
Do not go to the trouble of cooking, we will order food.
Pourquoi s’embêter avec tous ces papiers ?
Why bother with all this paperwork?
Je me suis embêté à tout vérifier.
I went to the trouble of checking everything.
Les enfants se sont embêtés pendant le trajet.
The children were bored during the journey.
Avec elle, on ne s’embête jamais.
With her, we are never bored.
Similar words
se donner du mal
se compliquer la vie
se fatiguer
s’ennuyer
se morfondre
Etymology
Formed from French bête with the prefix en- and the verb ending -er. It is recorded from 1794 for causing strong annoyance and from 1820 for causing boredom.
FAQ
What does embêter mean?
Embêter commonly means to bother, trouble, bore, or tease someone in familiar French.
Is embêter formal or informal?
Embêter is informal but very common and usually milder than emmerder.
What does s’embêter mean?
S’embêter can mean to go to unnecessary trouble or to be bored.
How is embêter pronounced?
Embêter is pronounced /ɑ̃bɛte/ in standard French.
Where does embêter come from?
Embêter was formed from bête with en- and -er, and its modern senses are recorded from the late eighteenth century.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.