s'habiller
To get dressed in French is s'habiller.
s'habiller is used to describe the general act of clothing oneself.
Meaning: to beclothe oneself, to put on clothes (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is a reflexive form of habiller (to dress someone), where the s' indicates that the action is being performed on oneself, literally meaning "to dress oneself".
Which one should you use?
While s'habiller refers to the general process of getting dressed, it is distinct from the verb mettre, which is used when you are putting on specific items of clothing, such as mettre un manteau (to put on a coat).
How does it change in a sentence?
As a reflexive verb, s'habiller must be used with reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) to indicate who is getting dressed.
Did you know?
- While s'habiller is the general term, French speakers use the phrase se mettre sur son 31 to describe getting dressed up for a special occasion, similar to the English 'putting on your Sunday best'.
- When describing someone's style, the phrase être habillé comme un sac literally means 'to be dressed like a bag'. It is a common way to tell someone they are dressed very poorly or have no style.
- The word habiller shares a root with the English word 'habit', which originally referred to a specific type of garment or dress worn by a particular group.
Examples in context
- Elle aida sa fille à s'habiller.She helped her daughter get dressed.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use s'habiller when describing helping someone else get dressed.Tatoeba #1114570 by sacredceltic, translation #1115745 by CS
- Il a aidé son fils à s'habiller.He helped his son get dressed.Tatoeba #11156096 by lbdx, translation #7388563 by CH
- Il est temps de vous habiller pour cette occasion spéciale.It is time to get dressed for this special occasion.
- Les invités doivent se revêtir de leurs plus beaux habits.The guests must get dressed in their finest clothes.
- Vous devez vous apprêter avant le début de la fête.You need to get dressed before the start of the party.
- Je vais me mettre en tenue de soirée pour l'événement.I am going to get dressed in evening attire for the event.
- Attends un instant, je vais me mettre en tenue.Wait a moment, I am going to get dressed.
- Comment devrais-je m'habiller pour mon entretien d'embauche ?How should I dress for my job interview?
- Bien sûr, laissez-moi me préparer et je vous rejoins.Of course, let me get dressed and I will join you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are getting ready to leave the house.
- LéaHugo, est-ce que tu vas s'habiller ?Hugo, are you going to get dressed?
- HugoOui, je m'habille tout de suite.Yes, I'm getting dressed right now.
- LéaDépêche-toi, nous sommes en retard.Hurry up, we are late.
- HugoD'accord, je suis prêt dans deux minutes.Okay, I'll be ready in two minutes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get dressed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
