French · Everyday Verbs
"to cry" in French: pleurer
pleurer
To cry in French is pleurer. Je pleure means I cry. Tu pleures asks are you crying? Past participle pleuré uses avoir: j'ai pleuré.
Sad movie
Je pleure à chaque fin de ce film.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pleurer
Say it
pluh-RAY
/plø.ʁe/
Pleurer: pluh-RAY. Je pleure: zhuh pluhr. Soft eu vowel.
"to cry" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| pleurer | to cry Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je pleure / tu pleures | I cry / you cry Present. | Present. |
| pleurer de joie | to cry with joy Happy tears. | Happy tears. |
| pleuré(e) | cried Past participle. | Past participle. |
How to use pleurer in real life
- 1Sad movie
Je pleure à chaque fin de ce film.
I cry at every ending of this movie.
Je pleure.
- 2Comforting a friend
Tu pleures ? Viens, on s'assoit.
Are you crying? Come on, let's sit.
Tu pleures.
- 3Wedding
Elle a pleuré de joie pendant le discours.
She cried with joy during the speech.
A pleuré.
Mistakes English speakers make with pleurer
Incorrect: Je cry.
Correct: Je pleure.
Use pleurer forms.
Incorrect: Il pleurer fort.
Correct: Il pleure fort.
Conjugate: il pleure.
Good to know
French comfort is often physical and short: ça va, je suis là. Pleurer n'est pas une honte shows up in parenting talk more than stiff stiff-upper-lip advice.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a tough call
ChatPal
Tu pleures un peu. Tu veux de l'eau ?
You're crying a bit. Want some water?
You
Oui. Je pleure, mais ça va passer.
Yes. I'm crying, but it'll pass.
ChatPal
OK. Pleure si tu as besoin, je reste.
OK. Cry if you need to—I'll stay.
You
Merci. On respire une minute.
Thanks. We'll breathe for a minute.
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 cry" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to cry" in French
How do you say I cry?
Je pleure.
How do you say don't cry?
Ne pleure pas.
How do you say I cried?
J'ai pleuré.
How do you pronounce pleurer?
pluh-RAY.
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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