déshabiller

The everyday verb for undressing someone or something (déshabiller un enfant, déshabiller un lit of its sheets). The reflexive se déshabiller is how you say "to get undressed" for yourself — the plain transitive form implies undressing someone or something else.

• Elle a déshabillé le bébé pour le bain. — She undressed the baby for the bath.
• Il se déshabille toujours en rentrant du travail. — He always gets undressed as soon as he gets home from work.
• N'oublie pas de déshabiller le lit avant de laver les draps. — Don't forget to strip the bed before washing the sheets.

Learners say *je déshabille* for "I'm getting undressed" — but without an object, that reads as unfinished or transitive-missing-an-object; the reflexive je me déshabille is required for talking about undressing yourself.

• song Déshabillez-moi — Juliette Gréco's best-known song, released in 1967 (written by Robert Nyel, composed by Gaby Verlor) — its title is the plural/formal imperative of déshabiller, and French radio initially refused to play it because of its frank sensuality.