marche
/maʁʃ/
The French word marche means a step or a stair in a flight of stairs.
The term refers specifically to the physical object of a step or stair within a staircase.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish the noun marche (a step) from the verb marche, which can mean 'walks' or 'works'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to multiple steps or stairs, use the plural form marches, which is created by adding an 's' to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
/maʁʃ/
Did you know?
- In French, the word marche also describes a borderland or a frontier district, such as the historical marches of Wales or the marches of the Holy Roman Empire.
- While marche means a step, the French word for a 'staircase' is escalier, which comes from the same root as the English word 'scale'.
- The expression faire marche arrière literally means 'to make backward step', but it is commonly used idiomatically to mean 'to backtrack' or 'to reverse a decision'.
Examples in context
- On se retrouve au marché demain matin?Shall we meet at the market tomorrow morning?
- Il est monté les marches de l'escalier.He went up the stairs of the staircase.
- Attention, la première marche est glissante.Watch out, the first step is slippery.
- Il manque une marche à cet escalier.There is a step missing from this staircase.
- Elle s'est arrêtée sur la dernière marche.She stopped on the last step.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are walking up a staircase in an old building.
- NathanFais attention à la prochaine marche.Be careful of the next step.
- LéaMerci Nathan, elle est très haute.Thanks Nathan, it is very high.
- NathanCette marche est un peu cassée.This step is a bit broken.
- LéaJe vais monter plus doucement.I will go up more slowly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry marche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
