manger vs dévorer
French word comparison
Listen to manger
Listen to dévorer
| manger | dévorer |
|---|---|
/mahn-ZHAY/ verb | //de.vɔ.ʁe// verb |
| to eat (to consume food) | to devour (to eat quickly and with great appetite; can be literal or figurative) |
How they differ
Dévorer implies eating with great speed or eagerness and often suggests ravenousness; it is more intense and vivid than the neutral manger. Dévorer is also commonly used figuratively (e.g., to devour a book), whereas manger does not carry that figurative use.
When to use each
When to use manger: Use manger for a straightforward statement about eating without any added intensity or metaphor.
When to use dévorer: Use dévorer when you want to stress that someone ate very quickly, hungrily, or to use the eating metaphorically for strong interest.
Side-by-side examples
- Nous allons manger à huit heures.
(We will eat at eight o'clock.) - Il a dévoré son steak en deux minutes.
(He devoured his steak in two minutes.)
Register & nuance: Dévorer is standard and neutral in register but more expressive than manger; acceptable in both spoken and written French.