dépêche-toi
dépêche-toi is the French way to say hurry up.
The phrase is used to tell someone to go faster. A common alternative to using the verb se dépêcher is the expression faire vite, which means to be quick or to hurry.
Meaning: go faster (verb)
Which one should you use?
dépêche-toi is used when you are speaking to a single person in an informal context. In contrast, dépêchez-vous is used when you are addressing multiple people or when you are addressing a single person in a formal context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is pronominal, which means it is used with a reflexive pronoun (se, te, se, nous, vous, se) to indicate that the subject is hurrying themselves. When giving a command to one person informally, you use the imperative singular form dépêche-toi. When addressing several people or using the formal vous, you use the form dépêchez-vous.
Did you know?
- In France, telling someone to dépêche-toi while they are eating is often considered quite rude, as dining is culturally viewed as a time to slow down.
- The verb se dépêcher is closely related to the word dépêche, which refers to an urgent official telegram or a news dispatch.
- In very informal settings, French people might say magne-toi, which comes from a slang term meaning to handle or move something quickly.
Examples in context
- Dépêche-toi un peu !Hurry up a little!This sentence shows how to say hurry up a little using dépêche-toi.Tatoeba #398507 by qdii, translation #398505 by FeuDRenais
- Dépêche-toi, on y va !Hurry up, we are leaving!This sentence shows how to say hurry up when leaving using dépêche-toi.Tatoeba #913949 by sacredceltic, translation #776672 by Shishir
- Dépêche-toi, tu veux ?Hurry up, will you?This sentence shows how to use dépêche-toi.Tatoeba #12178504 by lbdx, translation #5767693 by Hybrid
- Pourriez-vous vous dépêcher, s'il vous plaît?Could you please hurry up?
- Il faut faire vite, nous n'avons que peu de temps.We need to hurry, we have little time.
- Dépêche-toi, nous allons être en retard!Hurry up, we're going to be late!
- Allez, file! On va être en retard.Come on, hurry up! We're going to be late.
- Bouge-toi, nous n'avons pas de temps à perdre!Hurry up, we don't have time to waste!
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are leaving the house for a movie.
- LéaDépêche-toi, Nathan, on va être en retard !Hurry up, Nathan, we are going to be late!
- NathanJ'arrive, je cherche mes clés.I'm coming, I'm looking for my keys.
- LéaS'il te plaît, dépêche-toi un peu.Please, hurry up a little.
- NathanÇa y est, je suis prêt.There, I am ready.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
