monter
/mɔ̃.te/
To ride in French is monter. Wiktionary also lists rouler and chevaucher.
Meaning: to transport oneself by sitting on and directing a horse, bicycle etc. (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| monter | /mɔ̃.te/ |
| rouler | /ʁu.le/ |
| chevaucher | /ʃə.vo.ʃe/ |
The verb monter is the most common way to express the act of riding a horse or a bicycle in everyday French. Depending on the context of the ride, you might also use the nouns tour or course to refer to an instance of riding.
Which one should you use?
While monter emphasizes the act of mounting or getting onto the vehicle or animal, rouler is used to describe the motion of riding or driving a wheeled vehicle. The word chevaucher is also a form of riding.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word monter has 2 syllables and is pronounced /mɔ̃.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using monter as a transitive verb directly with the vehicle, such as saying monter un vélo to mean riding a bike. Instead, you should say monter à vélo or faire du vélo.
Did you know?
- The term chevauchée derived from chevaucher historically referred to a scorched-earth military raid on horseback, common during the Hundred Years' War.
- If you use monter as a transitive verb with a vehicle, such as monter un vélo, it sounds as if you are assembling the bicycle from its parts.
- The root of chevaucher comes from the Latin 'caballus', which specifically referred to a 'nag' or a low-quality workhorse.
Examples in context
- Je sais monter à vélo.I can ride a bicycle.This sentence is useful for expressing the ability to ride a bicycle using monter.Tatoeba #3642416 by sacredceltic, translation #258206 by CK
- J'aime monter à cheval.I like to ride horses.This sentence is useful for expressing a liking for riding horses using monter.Tatoeba #8627957 by Julien_PDC, translation #8741913 by deniko
- Je sais monter à cheval.I can ride a horse.This sentence is useful for expressing the ability to ride a horse using monter.Tatoeba #127575 by sacredceltic, translation #259905 by CK
- Je vais faire un tour dans le parc d'attractions.I'm going for a ride in the amusement park.
- Allons faire une balade à vélo ce weekend !Let's go for a bike ride this weekend!
- J'ai envie de faire une petite balade en voiture ce soir.I feel like going for a little car ride tonight.
- Nous avons passé une super virée à la montagne en hiver.We had a great ride in the mountains during winter.
- La virée en bateau sur la Seine était magnifique !The boat ride on the Seine was magnificent!
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing their weekend plans.
- GabrielTu veux monter à vélo avec moi ?Do you want to ride a bike with me?
- ManonOui, j'adore monter à vélo le samedi.Yes, I love riding a bike on Saturdays.
- GabrielOn peut aller au parc ensemble.We can go to the park together.
- ManonC'est une super idée, Gabriel !That is a great idea, Gabriel!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ride” translations and entries monter, rouler, chevaucher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chevaucher, monter, rouler, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
