Verbes français de base avec la méthode TPR

What does “rater” mean in French?

The verb rater is one of the most useful everyday words in French. It means to miss something — a bus, a train, a chance — and also to fail at something: rater un examen is to fail a test. Watch out: it has nothing to do with the English word “rate.” If you miss your train, you say “j’ai raté mon train.” Simple, very common, and easy to reuse.

In the clip: “J’arrête un taxi. Je rate le taxi.” — I hail a taxi. I miss the taxi. The move right before it is the opposite: arrêter un taxi means to stop one for yourself. Where does rater come from? The word history is surprising. “Rat” was an old word for a damp gunpowder charge — one that would not ignite. When a gun clicked but did not fire, it “rated.” From that failed gunshot, the word grew into today’s everyday “to miss” and “to fail.” A few common uses: “rater le bus” (miss the bus), “rater une occasion” (miss a chance), “rater un gâteau” (mess up a cake). The noun “un raté” means a misfire, or a person who failed at something. And rater never means the English “rate” — for that, the French is “noter” or “évaluer.”