apprendre le verbe français « papillonner »

What does “papillonner” mean in French?

Un papillon is a butterfly, and papillonner is what it does: move flower to flower without staying anywhere. French applies it to people. At work it describes someone who starts a dozen things and finishes none; in love it describes someone who collects short relationships. The one verb covers both, because the complaint is the same — plenty of movement, no landing.

The tone stays light: il papillonne is teasing rather than damning. If you actually want to criticise someone’s love life you would reach for volage (fickle) — which is why papillonner survives as the word you can use in front of the person.