French · Everyday Verbs
"to wear" in French: porter
porter
To wear in French is porter. Je porte un manteau means I'm wearing a coat. Porter also means to carry; context decides. La porte (the door) is a different word.
Outfit
Je porte ma veste bleue ce soir.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce porter
Say it
por-TAY
/pɔʁ.te/
Porter: por-TAY. Porte (I/he wears): PORT.
"to wear" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| porter | to wear / to carry Clothes or carrying. | Clothes or carrying. |
| je porte | I wear / I'm wearing Present. | Present. |
| porter un jean | to wear jeans Clothing. | Clothing. |
| mettre | to put on The action of putting clothes on. | The action of putting clothes on. |
How to use porter in real life
- 1Outfit
Je porte ma veste bleue ce soir.
I'm wearing my blue jacket tonight.
Je porte (verb).
- 2Advice
Tu portes des chaussures confortables ?
Are you wearing comfortable shoes?
Tu portes.
- 3Work
Ils portent tous un badge.
They all wear a badge.
Ils portent.
Mistakes English speakers make with porter
Incorrect: Je wear un chapeau.
Correct: Je porte un chapeau.
Use porter, not English wear.
Incorrect: Ouvre la porte (meaning wear).
Correct: Use porte as a verb with clothes: Il porte un manteau.
La porte is the door; clothing needs the verb porter.
Good to know
Mettre is "put on" (mets ton manteau); porter is "be wearing." Same spelling porte can be door or verb — listen for articles: la porte vs il porte.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Before leaving the house
ChatPal
Tu portes déjà ton manteau ?
Are you already wearing your coat?
You
Oui, je porte aussi une écharpe.
Yes, I'm wearing a scarf too.
ChatPal
Parfait, il fait froid.
Perfect — it's cold.
You
On y va.
Let's go.
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 wear" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to wear" in French
How do you say to wear in French?
Porter.
Porter vs mettre?
Mettre = put on; porter = be wearing.
Is porte always the door?
No — il porte can mean he wears / carries.
How do you pronounce porter?
por-TAY.
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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