gérer
/ʒe.ʁe/
To manage in French is translated as gérer. Wiktionary also lists ménager.
Meaning: to direct or be in charge (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| gérer | /ʒe.ʁe/ |
| ménager | /me.na.ʒe/ |
Gérer is used when you mean to handle a situation, deal with a task or manage a business. In modern colloquial French, it is also commonly used to mean 'to handle' or 'to deal with' a problem or a person. For example, the phrase Je gère can mean 'I've got this'.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, ménager is used when you mean to conserve resources (like energy) or to treat someone with care/caution, rather than to direct a process.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒe.ʁe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because of the phonetic similarity to the English word 'manage', English speakers often mistakenly use ménager to mean 'to manage a business or task', but gérer is the correct term for administration or handling.
Did you know?
- Because ménager can mean 'to spare', the French expression ménager la chèvre et le chou literally means 'to spare the goat and the cabbage' when trying to please two opposing parties.
- The French word ménage refers to 'housework' or 'household', which is the direct ancestor of the verb ménager. While English 'manage' implies control, the French root focuses on the care and preservation of the home.
- In French, you can use gérer to describe your emotional state, such as gérer son stress, which focuses on the internal regulation of a feeling rather than the external direction of a company.
Examples in context
- On peut gérer sans toi.We can manage without you.This sentence shows how to use gérer to express managing without someone's help.Tatoeba #8304142 by Aiji, translation #3312566 by CK
- Je peux gérer ça tout seul.I can manage that on my own.This sentence demonstrates using gérer to describe handling a task on one's own.Tatoeba #7793993 by Aiji, translation #2967138 by AlanF_US
- Il m'est impossible de le gérer.I can't possibly manage it.This sentence shows how to use gérer to express the impossibility of handling something.Tatoeba #1339394 by sacredceltic, translation #37848 by CK
- Je gère une équipe de dix personnes.I manage a team of ten people.
- Il administre une entreprise multinationale.He manages a multinational company.
- Je m'occupe de la logistique pour le voyage.I manage the logistics for the trip.
- Nous nous débrouillons avec les ressources que nous avons.We manage with the resources we have.
- Elle mène d'une main de fer son équipe de vente.She manages her sales team with an iron hand.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing a professional project at work.
- HugoTu vas gérer ce projet ?Are you going to manage this project?
- EmmaOui, je vais gérer l'équipe.Yes, I am going to manage the team.
- HugoC'est une grande responsabilité pour toi.It is a big responsibility for you.
- EmmaNe t'inquiète pas, je peux le faire.Don't worry, I can do it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “manage” translations and entries gérer, ménager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gérer, ménager, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
