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Mordre vs. croquer

Word practice demo
The French verbs mordre and croquer both relate to biting, but they have distinct uses and connotations.

Mordre

A2
Mordre means to bite in a more aggressive or harmful way, often associated with animals or humans biting to cause injury or pain.
Le chien a mordu le facteur.
(The dog bit the mailman.)
Elle s'est mordu la langue en mangeant.
(She bit her tongue while eating.)
Les moustiques m'ont mordu toute la nuit.
(The mosquitoes bit me all night.)

Croquer

A2
Croquer means to bite or crunch, usually in the context of eating something crisp or hard, or taking a small bite of food.
J'aime croquer une pomme fraîche.
(I like to bite into a fresh apple.)
Il croque dans son sandwich avec appétit.
(He bites into his sandwich with appetite.)
Les enfants adorent croquer des carottes crues.
(Children love to crunch on raw carrots.)

Summary

While mordre is used for more aggressive or harmful biting, often by animals or humans, croquer is generally used for the act of biting into food, especially crunchy or crisp items. Mordre implies potential danger or injury, whereas croquer suggests enjoyment of food or snacks.