répondre vs répondre de
French word comparison
Listen to répondre
Listen to répondre de
| répondre | répondre de |
|---|---|
/ray-PAWN-dr/ verb | /ray-pon-druh duh/ verb |
| to answer or reply to someone or something | to be responsible for; to stand for |
How they differ
Répondre de does not mean ordinary answering. It means taking responsibility for someone or something, or vouching for them, so it is only related in form, not in the basic meaning of répondre.
When to use each
When to use répondre: Use répondre when you mean to answer a person, question, call, or message.
When to use répondre de: Use répondre de when you mean to be accountable for something or to guarantee someone’s behavior.
Side-by-side examples
- Il n’a pas répondu à mon courrier.
(He did not reply to my letter.) - Je réponds de son honnêteté.
(I vouch for his honesty.)
Register & nuance: More formal and legal/administrative in tone than répondre in its ordinary sense.