Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| se dépêcher |
| se hâter |
The verb is used to express the act of doing things quickly. You can also use related nouns like précipitation or hâte to describe a rushed action. For example, the noun hâte is frequently used in the phrase en hâte to mean 'in a hurry' or 'hurriedly'.
Which one should you use?
While both mean to hurry, se dépêcher is the common, everyday way to express this, whereas se hâter is more formal or literary.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb se dépêcher is reflexive, which means it must be used with reflexive pronouns such as me, te, se, nous, vous or se to mean 'to hurry oneself'. When giving a command to someone you know informally, use the imperative dépêche-toi! To give the command to a group or to someone you address with the formal vous, use dépêchez-vous!
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the non-reflexive dépêcher instead of the reflexive se dépêcher when they mean 'to hurry'.
Did you know?
- The verb se dépêcher is built from empêcher, which means 'to prevent'. Literally, to hurry is to 'un-prevent' oneself from moving.
- While se dépêcher is used for speed, French speakers use se presser to express the same idea. The latter literally means 'to squeeze oneself', imagining a crowd pushing forward.
- The word dépêcher originally meant 'to dispatch' or 'to send a messenger' on a fast mission. Over time, the meaning shifted from sending someone else quickly to making oneself move quickly.
Examples in context
- Il faut se dépêcher.You have to hurry up.This sentence shows the use of se dépêcher to express necessity.Tatoeba #5403261 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5403062 by CK
- On ferait mieux de se dépêcher.We'd better hurry.This sentence shows the use of se dépêcher to express a suggestion.Tatoeba #13413706 by lbdx, translation #2241529 by CK
- Point n'est besoin de se dépêcher.There's no need to hurry.This sentence shows the use of se dépêcher to express that there is no need for speed.Tatoeba #1335921 by sacredceltic, translation #450099 by CK
- fais-le viteDo it quickly
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are leaving for a movie.
- ManonOn doit se dépêcher pour le film !We have to hurry for the movie!
- LucasJe me dépêche, attends-moi.I am hurrying, wait for me.
- ManonDépêche-toi, Lucas !Hurry up, Lucas!
- LucasD'accord, je suis prêt.Okay, I'm ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hurry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dépêcher, hâter, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
