atteindre

Senses

1. 1.

   to reach

   to arrive at or get to a place or destination

2. 2.

   to attain

   to achieve or accomplish a goal or objective

3. 3.

   to hit; to strike

   to make contact with a target

4. 4.

   to affect; to touch

   to have an impact on someone or something emotionally or physically

Examples

• "Nous avons atteint le sommet de la montagne après six heures de marche."

  We reached the mountain's summit after six hours of hiking.

• "Elle a atteint son objectif de devenir médecin."

  She attained her goal of becoming a doctor.

• "La balle a atteint la cible avec précision."

  The ball struck the target with precision.

Usage

Atteindre is a common transitive verb often used literally (physical reach) and metaphorically (goals, emotions). It combines well with nouns like objectif, but note that the past participle atteint is often used as an adjective meaning "affected" or "tainted" (e.g., être atteint d'une maladie, "to be afflicted with a disease").