battre

Senses

1. 1.

   to beat

   to strike repeatedly; to hit

2. 2.

   to beat

   to defeat or overcome (in a competition or conflict)

3. 3.

   to beat

   to whisk or stir (eggs, cream, etc.) vigorously

4. 4.

   to throb

   to pulsate (of the heart); to flutter

Examples

• "Il a battu son adversaire au tennis."

  He beat his opponent at tennis.

• "Elle bat les œufs pour faire une omelette."

  She's whisking the eggs to make an omelette.

• "Son cœur battait très fort après la course."

  His heart was pounding very hard after the run.

Usage

Battre is highly common and versatile. It can be transitive (battre quelqu'un/quelque chose) or intransitive (son cœur bat). In the reflexive form "se battre," it means "to fight" or "to struggle." Avoid confusing it with "frapper" (to hit/strike) in formal contexts-battre emphasizes repetition or a series of blows.