boire
/bwaʁ/
The French verb for "to drink" is boire.
The verb boire means to drink. It is used in several common expressions: Boire un verre means to have a drink, Boire comme un trou means to drink like a fish and Boire à la santé de quelqu'un means to drink to someone's health.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of boire is bu, which is used to mean drunk or drank.
How do you pronounce it?
/bwaʁ/
Did you know?
- The expression boire comme un trou literally translates to 'to drink like a hole'. While English speakers say 'drink like a fish', the French imagine a bottomless pit.
- The past participle bu shares an ancient root with the Latin word for 'to drink', which is where we get the English word 'bibulous' meaning fond of drinking.
- Drinking a toast with boire à la santé de quelqu'un is a formal gesture where eye contact is traditionally maintained while the glasses touch.
Examples in context
- Vous buvez du vin rouge.You drink red wine.
- Tu bois du thé tous les matins.You drink tea every morning.
- Bois ton thé.Drink your tea.
- Buvons un verre ensemble.Let's have a drink together.
- Je veux boire un verre d'eau.I want to drink a glass of water.
- Tu vas boire un café avec moi ?Are you going to drink a coffee with me?
- Il est temps de boire un peu de thé.It is time to drink a little tea.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are at a cafe.
- ManonLucas, tu veux boire un thé ?Lucas, do you want to drink a tea?
- LucasOui, j'ai envie de boire un thé glacé.Yes, I feel like drinking an iced tea.
- ManonD'accord, je vais commander pour nous.Okay, I am going to order for us.
- LucasMerci Manon, c'est très gentil.Thanks Manon, that is very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry boire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
