Rayer vs. barrer vs. biffer
The French language offers three main verbs to express the action of crossing out: rayer, barrer, and biffer. While they all convey the general idea of striking through text, each has its own nuances and contexts of use.
Rayer
B1Rayer means to cross out, but it often implies making thin lines or scratches. It can also mean to erase or remove from a list.
J'ai rayé son nom de la liste des invités.
(I crossed out his name from the guest list.)
Le chat a rayé le cuir du canapé.
(The cat scratched the leather of the sofa.)
Barrer
A2Barrer is the most common and neutral term for crossing out. It suggests drawing a line through text to cancel it.
Barrez les mots incorrects dans cette phrase.
(Cross out the incorrect words in this sentence.)
Il a barré tout le paragraphe d'un trait.
(He crossed out the entire paragraph with one stroke.)
Biffer
B2Biffer is more formal and often used in administrative or legal contexts. It implies definitively canceling or nullifying text.
Le juge a biffé la clause du contrat.
(The judge struck out the clause from the contract.)
Veuillez biffer les mentions inutiles.
(Please cross out any irrelevant items.)
Summary
While rayer, barrer, and biffer all mean to cross out, they have distinct uses. Rayer often implies thin lines or removal from a list, barrer is the most general term for crossing out text, and biffer is more formal, used in official contexts to definitively cancel text.