brancher
/bʁɑ̃.ʃe/
To hook up in French is brancher.
The term refers to having a casual sexual experience with another person, typically without the intention of forming a future relationship.
Meaning: to have a casual sexual experience with another person, usually without any future relationship intended (verb)
Which one should you use?
While brancher is the primary term provided, you may encounter choper, which specifically emphasizes the act of scoring or getting lucky and pécho, which is a more informal way to express hooking up.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a regular -er verb, brancher follows the standard conjugation patterns for the first group of French verbs.
How do you pronounce it?
brancher is pronounced /bʁɑ̃.ʃe/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While pécho is common slang for hooking up, it comes from the verb pêcher, meaning 'to fish'. It frames the act of finding a partner as catching a fish.
- The word brancher literally means 'to plug in' or 'to connect' an electrical appliance. In a sexual context, it treats the encounter like connecting two electrical sockets.
- In a completely different context, être branché means to be 'trendy' or 'hip'. This uses the same root as brancher to describe someone who is connected to the current fashion.
Examples in context
- Je suis allé en boîte de nuit pour pécho ce week-end.I went to a nightclub to hook up this weekend.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing someone they met at a club.
- GabrielTu as aimé le garçon que tu as rencontré ?Did you like the guy you met?
- ManonOui, on a décidé de se brancher rapidement.Yes, we decided to hook up quickly.
- GabrielTu veux essayer de sortir avec lui maintenant ?Do you want to try dating him now?
- ManonNon, c'était juste pour se brancher une fois.No, it was just to hook up once.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry brancher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
