Prodigalize in French: How to Say It and Its Usage

The word "prodigalize" is an English verb that means to spend money or resources wastefully or extravagantly. It is derived from the adjective "prodigal," which means wasteful or extravagant, and the noun "prodigality." The word "prodigal" itself comes from the Latin "prodigalis," meaning "given to the gods" or "extravagant."

Prodigalize in French

In French, the verb "prodigalize" does not have a direct translation. However, you can use the French verb "dissiper" (to disperse) or "gaspiper" (to waste) to convey a similar meaning. Here are some example sentences:

Example Sentences

  1. Il a prodigalisé son héritage en achetant des voitures de luxe et des bijoux coûteux.


    (He wasted his inheritance by buying luxury cars and expensive jewelry.)
  2. Elle a gaspié son argent en allant à la fête avec ses amis plutôt que de l'économiser pour l'école.


    (She wasted her money by going to the party with her friends instead of saving it for school.)
  3. Il a dissipé son énergie en se disputant avec ses amis au lieu de travailler sur son projet.


    (He wasted his energy by arguing with his friends instead of working on his project.)

Explanation of Forms

As mentioned earlier, "prodigalize" does not have a direct translation in French. To convey the meaning of this verb, you can use the verbs "dissiper" or "gaspiper" in the appropriate form based on the subject and tense of the sentence. For example:

  • Je prodigalise (I waste)
  • Tu prodigalisais (You used to waste)
  • Il/elle/on prodigalisait (He/she/one used to waste)
  • Nous prodigalisions (We used to waste)
  • Vous prodigalisiez (You used to waste)
  • Ils/elles prodigalisait (They used to waste)

Notes on Usage

When using "dissiper" or "gaspiper" to convey the meaning of "prodigalize" in French, make sure to consider the context and choose the verb that best fits the situation. Additionally, be mindful of the subject and tense of the sentence when conjugating these verbs.

Word Origin

As mentioned earlier, the word "prodigal" comes from the Latin "prodigalis," meaning "given to the gods" or "extravagant." The verb "prodigalize" is an English creation, and there is no direct equivalent in French. However, the French words "dissiper" and "gaspiper" share a similar meaning and can be used to convey the idea of wasting resources or money.

Additional Variations

While there is no direct translation of "prodigalize" in French, you can use the verbs "dissiper" and "gaspiper" to convey a similar meaning. Be sure to choose the appropriate verb based on the context and conjugate it according to the subject and tense of the sentence.