French · Everyday Verbs
"to answer" in French: répondre
répondre
To answer in French is répondre. Je réponds, tu réponds, il/elle répond. Répondre à une question means to answer a question. Répondre à quelqu'un means to answer someone.
Messages
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How to pronounce répondre
Say it
ray-POHN-druh
/ʁe.pɔ̃dʁ/
Répondre is ray-POHN-druh. The on is nasal. Réponds/répond sound like ray-POHN.
"to answer" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| répondre | to answer / to reply Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| répondre à | to answer (someone/something) Needs à. | Needs à. |
| je réponds / tu réponds | I answer / you answer Present. | Present. |
| sans répondre | without answering Ignoring a call or remark. | Ignoring a call or remark. |
How to use répondre in real life
- 1Messages
Je réponds dès que je peux.
I answer as soon as I can.
Je réponds.
- 2Classroom
Tu réponds à la question numéro trois ?
Are you answering question three?
Répondre à.
- 3Phone
Il ne répond pas. Rappelle plus tard.
He's not answering. Call back later.
Il répond.
Mistakes English speakers make with répondre
Incorrect: Je répondre le mail.
Correct: Je réponds au mail.
Conjugate and use à: répondre à.
Incorrect: Répondre la question.
Correct: Répondre à la question.
Always répondre à for the thing answered.
Good to know
French insists on répondre à—both for people and for questions/emails. Leaving someone sans réponse can feel colder than in some cultures, especially for invitations.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Waiting on a group chat
ChatPal
Personne ne répond dans le groupe.
Nobody's answering in the group.
You
J'ai répondu il y a une heure.
I answered an hour ago.
ChatPal
Ok, on attend encore un peu.
Okay, we'll wait a bit more.
You
Sinon on décide sans eux.
Otherwise we decide without them.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to answer" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to answer" in French
What is to answer in French?
Répondre.
Do I need à?
Yes: répondre à quelqu'un / à une question.
What is the je form?
Je réponds.
How do you pronounce répondre?
Ray-POHN-druh.
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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