draguer
/dʁa.ɡe/
The English phrase "chat up" is translated into French as draguer.
The verb is used to describe an attempt to establish a sexual relationship.
Meaning: attempt to establish a sexual relationship (verb)
Which one should you use?
While draguer is slangy and implies a casual attempt to seduce, faire la cour à is a much more formal and old-fashioned way to describe pursuing a romantic interest.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
draguer is a colloquial and slang term used in informal social settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
draguer is a regular -er verb. Its past participle is dragué.
How do you pronounce it?
/dʁa.ɡe/
Did you know?
- The verb draguer shares its roots with the noun drague, which refers to a heavy machine used to dredge or clean the bottom of a river or harbor.
- French has a specific term drague lourde to describe 'heavy' or clumsy flirting that is unwelcome or lacks subtlety.
- While draguer is common, the older term faire la cour literally means 'to do the court'. It evokes the ritualized etiquette of the French royal court at Versailles.
Examples in context
- Il a passé toute la soirée à me draguer.He spent the whole evening flirting with me.
- J'ai décidé d'accoster Sophie à la fête hier soir.I decided to chat up Sophie at the party last night.
- vous êtes charmant(e)You are charming
- Il a essayé de la draguer toute la soirée.He tried to chat her up all evening.
- Il essaie de la draguer depuis ce matin.He has been trying to chat her up since this morning.
- Arrête de draguer tout le monde dans la rue !Stop trying to chat up everyone in the street!
- Elle a réussi à draguer ce garçon très vite.She managed to chat up that boy very quickly.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are at a crowded party.
- ChloéRegarde Gabriel, ce type essaie de me draguer.Look Gabriel, that guy is trying to chat me up.
- GabrielIl est vraiment courageux, Chloé.He is really brave, Chloé.
- ChloéC'est gênant, je ne veux pas qu'il me drague.It's awkward, I don't want him to chat me up.
- GabrielJe vais venir t'aider pour t'en sortir.I'll come help you get away from him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chat up” translations and entries draguer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries draguer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
