traîner
/tʁɛ.ne/
To hang out in French is traîner.
traîner is used to express hanging out or spending time aimlessly. While it is a common way to describe socializing, it can also imply a sense of laziness or wasting time.
Meaning: to socialize (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb traîner literally means 'to drag' or 'to loiter'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
traîner is an informal way to express hanging out. Another informal way to express the idea of hanging out is the phrase se voir, which translates to 'to see each other'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say you are hanging out with someone, use the preposition avec after the verb, as in traîner avec.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁɛ.ne/
Did you know?
- The verb traîner is used when talking about a cold or a sickness that lingers, such as traîner un rhume.
- Because traîner implies loitering, using it in front of a police officer might suggest you are acting suspiciously rather than just relaxing.
- The word traîner is used in the expression traîner les pieds, which literally means 'to drag one's feet' and figuratively means to be reluctant.
Examples in context
- On devrait aller traîner.We should hang out.This sentence shows how to suggest hanging out.Tatoeba #2185757 by sacredceltic, translation #2178866 by Hybrid
- Je veux juste traîner avec toi.I just want to hang out with you.This sentence shows how to express a desire to hang out with someone.Tatoeba #2016514 by sacredceltic, translation #2015188 by CK
- Aimerais-tu traîner avec nous ?Would you like to hang out with us?This sentence shows how to invite someone to hang out.Tatoeba #2019387 by sacredceltic, translation #2016992 by CK
- Je pense que ce serait bien de passer du temps ensemble après le travail. Qu'en pensez-vous?I think it would be good to spend time together after work. What do you think?
- Ça te dirait qu'on se voie demain pour se détendre un peu?Would you like us to meet tomorrow to relax a bit?
- Pourquoi ne pas passer du temps ensemble ce week-end? On pourrait aller au cinéma.Why don't we spend some time together this weekend? We could go to the movies.
- J'aime bien quand on se retrouve pour discuter de nos projets.I enjoy when we meet up to discuss our projects.
- On pourrait sortir ensemble et visiter ce nouveau café.We could hang out together and visit this new café.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about their plans for the weekend.
- EmmaOn va traîner en ville ce soir ?Are we going to hang out downtown tonight?
- LucasOui, ça me dit bien.Yes, I'm up for that.
- EmmaTu veux traîner avec moi ou avec le groupe ?Do you want to hang out with me or with the group?
- LucasOn peut traîner avec tout le monde.We can hang out with everyone.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry traîner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
