acclamer
/a.kla.me/
To cheer in French is to say acclamer. Wiktionary also lists applaudir.
Meaning: to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| acclamer | /a.kla.me/ |
| applaudir | /a.plo.diʁ/ |
The verb is used to describe the act of encouraging or applauding someone through shouts and cheers. Depending on the situation, you might use different expressions to cheer someone on: Allez is used like 'come on' or 'go for it', while Tu peux le faire means 'you can do it'. To express excitement or enthusiasm, you can say Génial (great or awesome) or use exuberant sounds like Youpi (yay/hooray) or Hourra (hurrah/hooray).
Which one should you use?
While both words relate to cheering, applaudir is used specifically when the cheering involves the physical act of clapping hands. In contrast, acclamer is used when the cheering involves vocal shouts, cheers or general acclaim.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.kla.me/
Did you know?
- Although Hourra is used to cheer, it is actually a loanword from English 'hurrah' and is less common in spontaneous conversation than the onomatopoeic Youpi.
- While applaudir refers to the physical act of clapping, in a sporting context, a crowd might be described as en délire to show they are cheering wildly.
- In a French theater or opera, the highest form of cheering is not just clapping, but shouting Bravo while standing, which is a custom inherited from Italian performance traditions.
Examples in context
- La foule a acclamé l'acteur.The crowd cheered the actor.
- Le public a applaudi la performance.The audience applauded the performance.
- Le public a commencé à acclamer l'artiste.The audience began to cheer for the artist.
- Nous allons acclamer notre équipe de football.We are going to cheer for our football team.
- Les spectateurs ne cessent d'acclamer le champion.The spectators won't stop cheering for the champion.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a music concert.
- GabrielLe chanteur arrive sur la scène !The singer is coming onto the stage!
- ManonOn doit l'acclamer très fort.We must cheer for him very loudly.
- GabrielRegarde comme tout le monde l'acclame !Look at how everyone is cheering for him!
- ManonC'est vraiment une ambiance incroyable.It is truly an incredible atmosphere.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheer” translations and entries acclamer, applaudir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
