se plonger
To dive in French is to say se plonger.
The verb describes the action of jumping into water head-first. You can use the conjugated form plonger to say that someone is currently diving, such as Je plonge (I dive), Il/Elle plonge (He/She dives), Nous plongeons (We dive), Vous plongez (You dive) or Ils/Elles plongent (They dive).
Meaning: to jump into water head-first (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The reflexive verb se plonger literally translates to 'to plunge oneself'.
Which one should you use?
The language distinguishes between the action, the sport and the movement. Use un plongeon to refer to a single physical act or movement of diving into water. Use la plongée to refer to the activity or sport of diving, such as scuba diving. While se plonger is the standard verb, you may also hear the colloquial expression Faire le plongeon to mean 'to do the dive'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb se plonger is reflexive.
Did you know?
- In a professional French kitchen, the person responsible for washing the dishes is called un plongeur. This is because their job consists of 'plunging' dirty pots and pans into the water.
- The word plonger comes from the Latin word plumbum, meaning 'lead'. This refers to the way a heavy lead weight drops straight and quickly into water.
- The verb plonger can be used to describe a sudden emotional shift. For example, saying someone se plonge dans la tristesse means they have sunk into sadness.
Examples in context
- Il a fait un saut périlleux depuis le rocher.He made a somersault dive from the rock.
- Allons plonger dans la mer cet après-midi !Let's go diving in the sea this afternoon!
- Il a fait le plongeon du haut de la falaise.He did the dive from the top of the cliff.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are at a swimming pool.
- LucasL'eau a l'air parfaite pour se plonger.The water looks perfect for diving.
- ManonTu as raison, je vais essayer.You are right, I will try.
- LucasFais attention au bord du bassin.Be careful of the edge of the pool.
- ManonNe t'inquiète pas, je me plonge maintenant !Don't worry, I'm diving now!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dive” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries plonger, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
