En arrière



Example: Il marche en arrière pour regarder derrière lui.

Definition


"En arrière" is a French adverbial phrase meaning 'backwards' or 'in the reverse direction.' It describes movement or position directed toward the rear, as in the example 'Il marche en arrière pour regarder derrière lui,' meaning 'He walks backwards to look behind him.'

Etymology


The phrase "en arrière" comes from the French preposition 'en,' meaning 'in,' combined with 'arrière,' which means 'behind' or 'back.' 'Arrière' itself originates from the Old French 'arere,' related to Latin 'retro,' meaning 'back' or 'behind.' Together, they form a phrase that literally translates as 'in back' or 'towards the back.'

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"En arrière" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - General - (A1) - set 1", containing 110 commonly used words.
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