French · Greetings & Essentials
"Hurry up!" in French: dépêche-toi !
dépêche-toi !
Hurry up in French is dépêche-toi ! — reflexive imperative with toi. Use it when someone is slow. Dépêchez-vous ! is the vous form.
Missing a bus
Dépêche-toi ! Le bus arrive.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce dépêche-toi !
Say it
day-PESH-twah
/de.pɛʃ twa/
Dépêche: day-PESH. Toi: twah. Hyphen: day-PESH-twah.
"Hurry up!" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| dépêche-toi ! | hurry up! Default tu. | Default tu. |
| dépêche-toi un peu | hurry up a bit Softer. | Softer. |
| dépêchez-vous ! | hurry up! (vous) Formal/plural. | Formal/plural. |
| on se dépêche | let's hurry Inclusive we. | Inclusive we. |
How to use dépêche-toi ! in real life
- 1Missing a bus
Dépêche-toi ! Le bus arrive.
Hurry up! The bus is coming.
Full phrase.
- 2Leaving for a train
Dépêche-toi, on va rater le TGV.
Hurry up, we'll miss the TGV.
Consequence.
- 3Kids and shoes
Dépêche-toi de mettre tes chaussures.
Hurry up and put on your shoes.
De + infinitive.
Mistakes English speakers make with dépêche-toi !
Incorrect: Dépêche toi sans trait.
Correct: Dépêche-toi !
Keep the hyphen: dépêche-toi.
Incorrect: Dépêche-te !
Correct: Dépêche-toi !
Imperative uses toi, not te.
Good to know
Dépêche-toi ! can sound sharp; soften with allez or un peu. Groups hear dépêchez-vous. French stations reward early arrival — the phrase is common near platforms.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Rushing to catch a metro
ChatPal
Dépêche-toi !
Hurry up!
You
J'arrive — dépêche-toi aussi avec les billets.
I'm coming—you hurry up with the tickets too.
ChatPal
OK. Dépêche-toi dans l'escalier.
OK. Hurry up on the stairs.
You
Je cours !
I'm running!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Hurry up!" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Hurry up!" in French
How do you say hurry up in French?
Dépêche-toi !
Vous form?
Dépêchez-vous !
Why the hyphen?
Imperative + toi is hyphenated.
How do you pronounce dépêche?
day-PESH.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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