danse
/dɑ̃s/
To dance in French is danse.
The term is used to describe the act of moving rhythmically to music. It can function as a verb or, in the form danse, as a noun referring to movements to music.
Meaning: move rhythmically to music (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Acadian region, the term gigue is often used to refer to traditional Celtic step-dancing. In Québec, the informal variation dansouiller is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form is danser. For conjugation, the first-person plural is dansons, the third-person plural is dansent and the past participle is dansé.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɑ̃s/
Did you know?
- In French ballet terminology, almost every move is named using French words, such as plié or pirouette, making French the international language of dance.
- The French word danse is a 'doublet' of the English word 'dance', meaning they both evolved from the same ancestral root independently.
- The word danse is used in the expression danse macabre, a late medieval allegory depicting the universality of death that influenced European art and music.
Examples in context
- Je ne danse pas.I don't dance.This sentence shows how to express a negative statement using danse.Tatoeba #4693240 by sacredceltic, translation #2245716 by CK
- Danse avec elle !Dance with her!This sentence provides an example of an imperative command using danse.Tatoeba #4930427 by sacredceltic, translation #4931967 by robbieheslop
- Je ne danse plus.I don't dance anymore.This sentence illustrates how to express that an action no longer occurs using danse.Tatoeba #5798811 by Toynop, translation #5792055 by CK
- J'apprends la danse classique depuis plusieurs annéesI have been learning classical dance for several years
- La chorégraphie de ce ballet est vraiment magnifiqueThe choreography of this ballet is truly magnificent
- On va danser samedi soir ?Do you want to go dancing on Saturday night?
- Tout le monde bouge sur la piste de danseEveryone is moving on the dance floor
- Ma sœur pratique la danse contemporaine depuis son plus jeune âge.My sister has been practicing contemporary dance since a young age.
- Le spectacle était impressionnant, la chorégraphie était parfaitement synchronisée.The show was impressive, the choreography was perfectly synchronized.
- Les élèves ont travaillé dur pour leur ballet de fin d'année.The students have worked hard for their end-of-year ballet.
- Hier soir, nous avons dansé jusqu'au bout de la nuit lors de cette fête.Last night, we danced until the early hours of the morning at that party.
- Les danseurs ont réussi à mettre l'ambiance avec leur façon de bouger.The dancers managed to create an atmosphere with their way of moving.
- 276 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a wedding party.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu danse avec moi ?Do you dance with me?
- ManonOui, je danse volontiers !Yes, I'll gladly dance!
- GabrielRegarde comment elle danse bien.Look at how well she dances.
- ManonC'est vrai, elle danse magnifiquement.It's true, she dances beautifully.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry danse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries danse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
