French · Everyday Verbs
"to walk" in French: marcher
marcher
To walk in French is marcher. Je marche means I walk / I'm walking. Aller à pied also means to go on foot when you stress the means of travel.
Morning routine
Je marche jusqu'au métro chaque jour.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce marcher
Say it
mar-SHAY
/maʁ.ʃe/
Marcher: mar-SHAY. Ch like sh; -er like ay. Je marche sounds like marsh.
"to walk" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| marcher | to walk Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je marche | I walk Present. | Present. |
| aller à pied | to go on foot How you get there. | How you get there. |
| une marche | a walk / a step Noun; also stair step. | Noun; also stair step. |
| marcher vite | to walk fast Common adverb pairing. | Common adverb pairing. |
How to use marcher in real life
- 1Morning routine
Je marche jusqu'au métro chaque jour.
I walk to the metro every day.
Jusqu'au = as far as.
- 2Weekend plan
On marche le long de la rivière ?
Shall we walk along the river?
Space before ?
- 3Giving advice
Tu marches trop vite pour moi.
You're walking too fast for me.
Marches = tu form.
Mistakes English speakers make with marcher
Incorrect: Je suis marchant au parc.
Correct: Je marche au parc.
No English-style continuous with être + -ant for this; je marche is enough.
Incorrect: Je walk au travail.
Correct: Je marche jusqu'au travail. / J'y vais à pied.
Use marcher or aller à pied.
Good to know
City life leans on walking between métro stops and errands. Une promenade is a leisure walk; marcher is the neutral verb for the action.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing how to get to a café
ChatPal
On y va en bus ou on marche ?
Shall we take the bus or walk?
You
On marche, il fait beau.
Let's walk; the weather's nice.
ChatPal
Parfait. Dix minutes à pied.
Perfect. Ten minutes on foot.
You
Je marche devant, je connais le raccourci.
I'll walk ahead; I know the shortcut.
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 walk" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to walk" in French
Marcher or aller à pied?
Marcher = walk; aller à pied stresses going on foot.
How do I say I walk?
Je marche.
What is une promenade?
A stroll / leisure walk.
Pronunciation of marcher?
Mar-SHAY.
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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