French · Everyday Verbs
"to carry" in French: porter
porter
To carry in French is porter. Je porte mon sac means I carry my bag. Tu portes la valise asks you to carry the suitcase. La porte is the door — use je porte so the verb is clear.
Helping with luggage
Je porte ta valise jusqu'au taxi.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce porter
Say it
por-TAY
/pɔʁ.te/
Porter: por-TAY. Je porte: zhuh PORT. Soft final e in porte as a verb form.
"to carry" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| porter | to carry / to wear Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je porte | I carry / I wear Present. | Present. |
| tu portes | you carry / wear Tu form. | Tu form. |
| porter quelque chose | to carry something Clear object. | Clear object. |
How to use porter in real life
- 1Helping with luggage
Je porte ta valise jusqu'au taxi.
I'll carry your suitcase to the taxi.
Je porte.
- 2Market haul
Tu portes les sacs lourds, je prends le pain.
You carry the heavy bags; I'll take the bread.
Tu portes.
- 3Moving day
On porte le canapé à deux.
We carry the sofa together.
On porte.
Mistakes English speakers make with porter
Incorrect: Je carry mon sac.
Correct: Je porte mon sac.
Use porter.
Incorrect: Ouvre la porte mon sac.
Correct: Je porte mon sac.
La porte is the door; for carry, conjugate porter.
Good to know
Porter also means to wear clothes: je porte un manteau. Context decides carry vs wear. For giving someone a lift of a bag, people also say je te prends ça — still learn porter as the core verb.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving the supermarket
ChatPal
Je porte le pack d'eau, c'est trop lourd pour toi.
I'll carry the water pack; it's too heavy for you.
You
Merci. Moi je porte les fruits.
Thanks. I'll carry the fruit.
ChatPal
Le vélo est juste là.
The bike is right there.
You
Parfait. On y va.
Perfect. Let's go.
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 carry" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to carry" in French
How do you say to carry in French?
Porter.
How do you say I carry?
Je porte.
Does porter also mean to wear?
Yes — context decides.
Is la porte the same?
Same spelling for the door; je porte makes the verb clear.
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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