tirer
/ti.ʁe/
The English word "pulling" can be expressed in French using the verb tirer.
tirer refers to the act of moving something toward oneself by gripping it and applying force. If you are specifically applying force to an object, such as pulling on a rope or a cord, you often use the construction tirer sur.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present participle of tirer is tirant. The infinitive tirer can also be used as a command in the imperative mood, such as Tirez ! for "Pull!"
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ti.ʁe/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you are 'pulling' someone's leg to joke with them, the French do not use tirer. They use the phrase mener en bateau, which means 'leading someone in a boat'.
- The verb tirer is used in French to mean 'to shoot' a weapon, such as 'tirer un coup de feu' for 'to fire a shot'.
- While 'pulling' implies tension, the verb tirer is also the standard way to say you are 'drawing' a salary or a paycheck from a bank account.
Examples in context
- Arrête de me tirer les cheveux !Stop pulling my hair!This sentence is useful for seeing how to use tirer with hair.Tatoeba #1669470 by sacredceltic, translation #1667073 by Spamster
- Arrête de tirer les cheveux de ta sœur.Stop pulling your sister's hair.This sentence shows how to use tirer when referring to someone else's hair.Tatoeba #11274360 by lbdx, translation #5425002 by Hybrid
- À force de trop tirer sur la corde, elle va lâcher.Thanks to pulling too much on the cord, she's going to let go.This sentence demonstrates the use of tirer in the context of applying tension to a cord.Tatoeba #2417496 by sacredceltic, translation #11559705 by weirdie
- Il est en train de tirer le chariot.He is pulling the cart.
- Elle a tiré sa valise toute seule.She pulled her suitcase by herself.
- Cette publicité attire beaucoup de clients.This advertisement pulls in/attracts a lot of customers.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are trying to open a heavy door.
- ChloéIl faut tirer pour ouvrir la porte.You have to pull to open the door.
- GabrielAh, je n'avais pas vu le panneau.Ah, I didn't see the sign.
- ChloéEssaie de tirer un peu plus fort.Try pulling a little harder.
- GabrielÇa y est, elle est ouverte !That's it, it's open!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tirer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
