Published February 28, 2024 • Updated October 8, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Péter meaning
Péter is a versatile French verb meaning “to fart,” “to pop,” “to burst,” or “to break,” depending on the context. While its literal meaning is “to fart,” it is commonly used in informal spoken French to describe something breaking or bursting. It also appears in many colorful expressions, such as péter les plombs (to lose it) and péter la forme (to be full of energy).
Péter pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of péter is /pe.te/, which sounds approximately like “pay-tay.”
Péter example sentences
J’ai mangé trop de haricots et maintenant je n’arrête pas de péter.
I ate too many beans and now I can’t stop farting.
Marc a pété le ballon avec une aiguille.
Marc popped a balloon with a needle.
Ne joue pas avec le vase comme ça. Tu vas le péter !
Don’t play with the vase like that! You’re going to break it!
Je me suis pété le poignet en rentrant dans un mur.
I broke my wrist crashing into a wall.
Fun related expression: péter les plombs — To lose it, go berserk »
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🪶 Word origin
The French verb péter comes from the Latin verb pedere, meaning “to fart.” It has been used in French since the Middle Ages.
Expressions with péter
- péter plus haut que son cul — To be full of yourself
- péter dans la soie — To be rolling in money
- péter dans les mains — To fall through (a plan or project)
- péter les plombs — To lose it, go berserk
- péter un câble — To freak out, lose control
- péter des flammes — To be furious, fly into a rage
- péter la forme — to be full of energy
- se la péter — To show off, act arrogant
- faire péter le champagne — To pop open the champagne
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