encourager
/ɑ̃.ku.ʁa.ʒe/
The French phrase for 'cheering for' is encourager.
encourager is used to express showing support or hoping for the success of a person or a team. While it is commonly used in a sporting context to mean 'to cheer for', it also carries the broader meaning of 'to encourage' or 'to hearten' someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, encourager is the most common expression used for 'cheering for'.
How does it change in a sentence?
encourager is a transitive verb. Unlike the English phrase 'cheering for', it does not require a preposition like 'for' to connect the verb to the person or team being cheered.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of encourager is /ɑ̃.ku.ʁa.ʒe/. It consists of 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you are 'cheering for' someone in a very enthusiastic or aggressive way, you might use the phrase supporter instead. However, be careful, as in French supporter can also mean 'to tolerate' or 'to put up with' someone.
- The root of encourager is courage, which originally comes from the Latin word cor, meaning 'heart'. To cheer for someone in French is literally to put heart into them.
- In a stadium, you will rarely hear fans shouting encourager! Instead, they use rhythmic chants or the phrase Allez!, which means 'Go!' and functions as the primary way to cheer for a player.
Examples in context
- Nous encourageons notre équipe préférée.We are cheering for our favorite team.
- Je vais encourager mon équipe préférée.I am going to cheer for my favorite team.
- Nous sommes là pour encourager les joueurs.We are here to cheer for the players.
- Elle aime encourager ses amis lors des matchs.She likes cheering for her friends during matches.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about a football match at a bar.
- LéaTu viens encourager notre équipe ce soir ?Are you coming to cheer for our team tonight?
- HugoOui, je ne veux pas manquer ça.Yes, I don't want to miss it.
- LéaSuper, on va bien s'amuser !Great, we are going to have a lot of fun!
- HugoC'est certain, on va les soutenir.That's for sure, we will support them.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry encourager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries encourager, CC BY-SA 4.0.
