pleurer
/plœ.ʁe/
To cry in French is to say pleurer.
The verb pleurer is used to describe the act of shedding tears. If you want to describe the act of bursting into tears, you can use the phrase fondre en larmes.
Meaning: intransitive: to shed tears (verb)
Which one should you use?
While the verb pleurer specifically means to shed tears, the noun cri refers to a shout or a scream.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial term chialer is more commonly used in Canadian French.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/plœ.ʁe/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the noun cri as a verb. While it means a shout or scream, you must use the verb pleurer to mean shedding tears.
Did you know?
- The expression pleurer sang et eau means to cry 'blood and water' and is used to describe extreme, inconsolable distress.
- The word pleurer can be used metaphorically to describe the 'crying' of a wound that is oozing fluid or blood.
- In Quebec, the word chialer is often used not just to mean 'cry' but also to 'complain' or 'whine'. Using it in France might be interpreted differently than in Canada.
Examples in context
- Ça me fit pleurer.This made me cry.This sentence shows how to use pleurer to express being made to cry.Tatoeba #1638941 by sacredceltic, translation #1635878 by Spamster
- Il la fit pleurer.He made her cry.This sentence shows how to use pleurer in the context of making someone else cry.Tatoeba #1658012 by sacredceltic, translation #1657716 by Spamster
- Je le fis pleurer.I made him cry.This sentence shows how to use pleurer in the context of making a male subject cry.Tatoeba #1658016 by sacredceltic, translation #1657715 by Spamster
- Elle a pleuré pendant des heures après avoir reçu la nouvelle.She cried for hours after receiving the news.
- La triste nouvelle lui a fait verser des larmes.The sad news made her shed tears.
- En entendant l'histoire tragique, elle a fondu en larmes.Upon hearing the tragic story, she burst into tears.
- Arrête de pleurnicher et prends tes responsabilités.Stop whining and take responsibility.
- En voyant le film triste, elle s'est mise à pleurer.Upon seeing the sad movie, she started crying.
- Je suis désolé que tu aies pleuré.I'm sorry you cried.
- Je vous présente mes excuses pour avoir versé des larmes.I apologize for shedding tears.
- Elle pleurniche tout le temps, c'est fatigant.She whines all the time, it's tiring.
- 208 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about a sad movie.
- LéaCe film est si triste que je vais pleurer.This movie is so sad that I am going to cry.
- LucasNe pleure pas, Léa, c'est seulement un film.Don't cry, Léa, it's only a movie.
- LéaMais l'histoire est vraiment bouleversante.But the story is truly overwhelming.
- LucasJe comprends, mais tu vas pleurer pour rien.I understand, but you are going to cry for nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries pleurer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
