French · Everyday Verbs
"to open" in French: ouvrir
ouvrir
To open in French is ouvrir. Say j'ouvre and tu ouvres. Past participle is ouvert: J'ai ouvert la porte. Shops say Ouvert / Fermé on the door.
Arriving home
J'ouvre la porte avec le badge.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ouvrir
Say it
oo-VREER
/u.vʁiʁ/
oo-VREER. Soft v; stress on VREER. J'ouvre is zhoov-ruh.
"to open" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ouvrir | to open Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| j'ouvre / tu ouvres | I open / you open Present. | Present. |
| ouvert / ouverte | open (adj.) / opened Participle / sign. | Participle / sign. |
| ouvrir la porte / la fenêtre | to open the door / window Common objects. | Common objects. |
How to use ouvrir in real life
- 1Arriving home
J'ouvre la porte avec le badge.
I open the door with the badge.
J'ouvre.
- 2Stuffy room
Tu ouvres la fenêtre deux minutes ?
Will you open the window for two minutes?
Tu ouvres.
- 3Package
J'ai ouvert le colis ce matin.
I opened the package this morning.
J'ai ouvert.
Mistakes English speakers make with ouvrir
Incorrect: Je ouvrir la boîte.
Correct: J'ouvre la boîte.
Conjugate and elide: j'ouvre.
Incorrect: La magasin est ouvre.
Correct: Le magasin est ouvert.
Use adjective/participle ouvert.
Good to know
Shop doors flash Ouvert in green and Fermé in red. Ouvrir un compte is to open an account. Don't force the infinitive into speech—ouvre/ouvert already count.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Getting into a shared workspace
ChatPal
Tu ouvres avec quel code ?
What code do you open with?
You
J'ouvre avec 4-2-9-1.
I open with 4-2-9-1.
ChatPal
Ok. J'ouvre derrière toi.
Okay. I'll open behind you.
You
La porte est ouverte, vas-y.
The door is open—go ahead.
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 open" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to open" in French
How do you say to open?
Ouvrir.
How do I say I open / I'm opening?
J'ouvre…
What is the past / open sign?
J'ai ouvert; signs say Ouvert.
How do you pronounce ouvrir?
oo-VREER.
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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