narrate
gb/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/ us/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
C1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
C1
action
1
tell a story or events
to tell a story or say what happened
Schéma d’usage :
narrate [something] (to [someone])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may use *narrate* where *say* or *tell* is more natural in casual speech; *narrate* often sounds more formal or story-like.
Synonymes
tell (More general and much more common in everyday speech.)
|
recount (Emphasizes giving events in order, often in more detail.)
|
relate (Slightly formal; focuses on connecting events as a story.)
Antonymes
withhold (To keep information back rather than tell it.)
|
conceal (To hide facts instead of describing them.)
Collocations
narrate a story
|narrate a tale
|narrate events
|narrate what happened
|narrate the plot
|narrate an incident
|narrate an experience
|narrate in detail
|narrate chronologically
|narrate the story of [someone/something]
Thèmes
communication
|storytelling
|media
Exemples
- He narrated the whole adventure from start to finish.
- She narrated what happened at the meeting, step by step.
- The book narrates the family's journey across the country.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I will narrate my trip to my friends.
- He narrated the story to the class.
Verbe
C1
action
2
provide voice-over for media
to read or speak the words for a film or recording
Schéma d’usage :
narrate [a documentary/film/audiobook/video]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse *narrate* (provide the spoken narration) with *narrate* meaning 'write the story' (more like *compose* or *write*).
Synonymes
do a voice-over (Common phrase focusing on the recorded voice track.)
|
read (Often used for audiobooks; emphasizes reading text aloud.)
|
voice (Industry term meaning to provide the voice for a production.)
Collocations
narrate a documentary
|narrate a film
|narrate a video
|narrate an audiobook
|narrate a series
|narrate an episode
|narrate a nature program
|narrate the opening sequence
|narrate the trailer
|narrate the audio guide
Thèmes
media
|film
|audio
Exemples
- She narrated the documentary in a calm, clear voice.
- The audiobook is narrated by the author.
- A well-known actor was hired to narrate the series.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He narrates children’s audiobooks.
- This film is narrated by a famous actor.
Verbe
formal
C2
action
3
formally describe facts in writing
to describe facts or events in a formal way
Schéma d’usage :
narrate [events/facts/history]
Erreur fréquente :
In academic writing, learners may overuse *narrate* where *describe* or *explain* would fit better; *narrate* suggests an account of events unfolding.
Synonymes
describe (More general; not necessarily a sequence of events.)
|
detail (Emphasizes giving many specific facts.)
|
set out (Formal; focuses on presenting information clearly and systematically.)
Antonymes
omit (To leave information out rather than include it in an account.)
Collocations
narrate the history
|narrate the events leading up to [something]
|narrate the circumstances
|narrate the background
|narrate the proceedings
|narrate the facts
|narrate the case
|narrate the sequence of events
|narrate the development of [something]
|narrate the incident
Thèmes
education
|writing
|law
Exemples
- The report narrates the events that led to the accident.
- In his statement, he narrated the facts as he remembered them.
- The article narrates the rise of the company over two decades.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The report narrates the events of that day.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
narrate
API
GB/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
US/nˈɛɹˌeɪt/
Syllabes et accentuation
nar - rate (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (nar)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: narrate
- 3rd Person Singular: narrates
- Present Participle: narrating
- Past: narrated
Famille de mots
Expressions
be narrated by [someone]
1/bˈi nˈɛɹˌeɪtɪd bˈaɪ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
have a specific narrator
(about a film or audiobook) to have a narrator
Exemples
- The documentary is narrated by David Attenborough.
- The audiobook is narrated by the author herself.
- The series was narrated by a different actor each season.
narrate in the first person
1/nˈɛɹˌeɪt ˈɪn ðə fˈɚst pˈɚsən/
fixed phrase
tell using “I”
to tell a story using “I”
Exemples
- The novel is narrated in the first person, so we only know what she knows.
- He chose to narrate the memoir in the first person.
- Try narrating the scene in the first person to make it feel more personal.
narrate in the third person
1/nˈɛɹˌeɪt ˈɪn ðə θˈɚd pˈɚsən/
fixed phrase
tell using “he/she/they”
to tell a story using “he/she/they”
Exemples
- Most of the book is narrated in the third person.
- The director decided to narrate the story in the third person to widen the perspective.
- If you narrate in the third person, you can follow more than one character.