crier
/kʁi.je/
To cry out in French is to say crier. Wiktionary also lists hurler.
Meaning: to shout in a loud voice due to pain, fear, or unhappiness (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| crier | /kʁi.je/ |
| hurler | /yʁ.le/ |
The verb is used to describe shouting in a loud voice due to pain, fear or unhappiness.
Which one should you use?
crier is the standard, neutral term for shouting or crying out. In contrast, hurler implies a much more intense, visceral and loud sound, similar to how one might howl or scream in pain or anger.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of crier is formed using the auxiliary avoir and the past participle crié, such as in the phrase il a crié.
How do you pronounce it?
crier is pronounced /kʁi.je/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word hurler is often used metaphorically in French to describe extreme laughter, as in hurler de rire, which translates to 'howling with laughter'.
- French uses the expression crier sur quelqu'un to mean shouting at someone, but crier après quelqu'un can imply scolding them.
- In a historical context, a crieur public was an official town crier. They were the primary source of news and government decrees for the public before newspapers became common.
Examples in context
- Elle a poussé un cri d'effroi.She let out a cry of terror.
- Il a hurlé de douleur.He cried out in pain.
- Arrête de gueuler, s'il te plaît!Please stop shouting!
- Elle a crié de douleur.She cried out in pain.
- Il ne faut pas crier de douleur.You must not cry out in pain.
- L'enfant a dû crier de peur.The child must have cried out in fear.
- Elle peut crier si elle est triste.She can cry out if she is unhappy.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are hiking in the woods.
- LéaLucas, as-tu entendu quelqu'un crier ?Lucas, did you hear someone cry out?
- LucasOui, j'ai entendu un grand cri.Yes, I heard a loud shout.
- LéaOn dirait que quelqu'un a peur.It sounds like someone is afraid.
- LucasAllons voir si tout va bien.Let's go see if everything is okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry out” translations and entries crier, hurler, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
