French · Everyday Verbs

"to kiss" in French: embrasser

embrasser

Say it: ahm-bra-SAYverb/ɑ̃.bʁa.se/

To kiss in French is embrasser. Je t'embrasse can mean kisses at the end of a message. Faire la bise is the cheek greeting; embrasser is the verb to kiss.

Leaving a party

Je t'embrasse, à demain !
Kisses—see you tomorrow!
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How to pronounce embrasser

Say it

ahm-bra-SAY

/ɑ̃.bʁa.se/

Embrasser: ahm-bra-SAY. Nasal em; double s sounds like s. Embrasse sounds ahm-BRASS.

"to kiss" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
embrasserto kiss

Infinitive.

je t'embrassekisses / I kiss you

Message sign-off or literal.

embrasser sur la joueto kiss on the cheek

Clear body target.

s'embrasserto kiss each other

Reciprocal.

How to use embrasser in real life

  1. 1Leaving a party

    Je t'embrasse, à demain !

    Kisses—see you tomorrow!

    Warm sign-off.

  2. 2Parents and child

    Elle embrasse son fils avant l'école.

    She kisses her son before school.

    Third person embrasse.

  3. 3Movie scene chat

    Ils se sont embrassés sous la pluie.

    They kissed in the rain.

    Past participle embrassés.

Mistakes English speakers make with embrasser

Incorrect: Il me donne un baiser — ça compte pour embrasser.

Correct: Il m'embrasse.

Un baiser is a noun; use a form of embrasser for the verb.

Incorrect: Je kiss ma grand-mère.

Correct: J'embrasse ma grand-mère.

Use embrasser, not English kiss.

Good to know

Cheek greetings are often faire la bise (one to four kisses by region). Embrasser can be romantic or familial—tone and context tell you which. In emails, je t'embrasse is friendly, not always literal.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Saying goodbye at the door

  1. ChatPal

    Je t'embrasse, bon courage pour demain.

    Kisses—good luck for tomorrow.

  2. You

    Moi aussi, je t'embrasse. Text-moi signe.

    Me too—kisses. Text me.

  3. ChatPal

    Et embrasse Léa pour moi.

    And kiss Léa for me.

  4. You

    Promis.

    Promise.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"to kiss" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to kiss" in French

How do you say to kiss in French?

Embrasser.

How do you say I kiss you in a message?

Je t'embrasse.

Is bise the same as embrasser?

Faire la bise is the cheek greeting; embrasser is the verb.

How do you pronounce embrasser?

ahm-bra-SAY.

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