French · Everyday Verbs

"to sing" in French: chanter

chanter

Say it: shahn-TAYverb/ʃɑ̃.te/

To sing in French is chanter. Je chante means I sing. Chanter faux is to sing out of tune; chanter juste is in tune.

Karaoke

Tu chantes cette chanson avec moi ?
Will you sing this song with me?
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How to pronounce chanter

Say it

shahn-TAY

/ʃɑ̃.te/

shahn-TAY. Soft ch; nasal an; final er like ay. Je chante: zhuh shahnt.

"to sing" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
chanterto sing

Infinitive.

je chante / tu chantesI sing / you sing

Present.

chanter fortto sing loudly

Volume.

chanter fauxto sing out of tune

Friendly tease.

chantésung

Past participle.

How to use chanter in real life

  1. 1Karaoke

    Tu chantes cette chanson avec moi ?

    Will you sing this song with me?

    Tu chantes.

  2. 2Shower

    Il chante toujours sous la douche.

    He always sings in the shower.

    Il chante.

  3. 3Choir

    Nous chantons ensemble le samedi.

    We sing together on Saturdays.

    Nous chantons.

Mistakes English speakers make with chanter

Incorrect: Je suis chanter.

Correct: Je chante. / J'aime chanter.

Conjugate chanter; don't use être + infinitive for I sing.

Incorrect: Je chanteur bien.

Correct: Je chante bien.

Chanteur is a singer (noun); the verb is chanter.

Good to know

Birthday tables erupt with Joyeux anniversaire chanté. Karaoke nights say on chante ? Friends tease chanter faux without real meanness.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Picking a karaoke song

  1. ChatPal

    Tu chantes en premier ?

    Do you sing first?

  2. You

    D'accord, je chante une chanson lente.

    Okay, I'll sing a slow song.

  3. ChatPal

    Je t'accompagne.

    I'll join you.

  4. You

    Parfait, on y va.

    Perfect, let's go.

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"to sing" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to sing" in French

How do you say to sing in French?

Chanter.

How do you say I sing?

Je chante.

What is chanter faux?

To sing out of tune.

Chanter vs chanteur?

Chanter is the verb; chanteur is a singer.

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