lire
/liʁ/
The English phrase 'to read' is translated into French as lire.
The verb lire means 'to read'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of lire is lu, which is used to form compound tenses like the passé composé.
How do you pronounce it?
/liʁ/
Did you know?
- The word lire shares a common ancestor with the English word 'collect'. Both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to gather' or 'to collect'.
- While lire is the standard verb, the phrase faire la lecture is often used when a parent reads a story to a child, rather than just using the verb 'lire' alone.
- The past participle lu is used in the common idiom lu et approuvé, which is a legal formula meaning 'read and approved' often written by hand on contracts.
Examples in context
- Je lis un livre intéressant.I am reading an interesting book.
- Vous lisez les nouvelles chaque matin.You read the news every morning.
- Elle lit un magazine dans le parc.She is reading a magazine in the park.
- Nous lisons souvent des romans policiers.We often read detective novels.
- Ils lisent les journaux pour se tenir informés.They read newspapers to stay informed.
- J'aime lire des romans.I like to read novels.
- J'aime lire des romans le soir.I love to read novels in the evening.
- Est-ce que tu veux lire ce journal ?Do you want to read this newspaper?
- Elle peut lire très rapidement.She can read very quickly.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are at a local library.
- EmmaHugo, tu veux lire ce livre avec moi ?Hugo, do you want to read this book with me?
- HugoOui, c'est une bonne idée.Yes, that is a good idea.
- EmmaOn peut lire un peu ici.We can read a little here.
- HugoD'accord, Emma, commençons.Okay, Emma, let's start.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
