anticiper

to anticipate, to foresee

verb ahn-tee-see-PAY Rare

Origin: Latin anticipare (to take before)

Usage Note

anticiper can be used absolutely ('to think ahead') or transitively with an object: anticiper une crise ('to anticipate a crisis'). In spoken French it also appears colloquially as a mild rebuke: n'anticipons pas ('let's not get ahead of ourselves'). The noun form is anticipation, common in roman d'anticipation ('science fiction novel').

Examples

"Il faut anticiper les problèmes."

Natural Translation

We must anticipate the problems.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

How to Say "I Miss You" in French (Without Errors)

"I miss you" in French is Tu me manques, not Je te manque. Learn the subject-flip behind manquer so you never text the opposite of what you mean.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Ordering Food in French: Restaurant Phrases That Work

Order food in French with confidence: greet first, say je voudrais not je veux, ask for a carafe d'eau, answer quelle cuisson, and request the bill yourself.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read