errer
/e.ʁe/
The English phrase 'roam' translates to the French verb errer.
errer means to wander freely. In many contexts, it carries a connotation of being lost, being a wanderer or wandering aimlessly (like a lost soul or a stray animal).
Meaning: wander freely (verb)
Which one should you use?
While errer implies wandering aimlessly or without a destination, voyager is used for traveling with a purpose or to a specific destination.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of errer is erré, used with the auxiliary avoir to form compound tenses like the passé composé.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /e.ʁe/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The English word 'error' shares the same Latin root as errer, meaning that to make an 'error' is etymologically to have 'wandered' away from the truth.
- While errer describes wandering aimlessly, the word flâner describes wandering specifically for the pleasure of observing the city and its people.
- French uses errer for the movement of a gaze or eyes across a surface, such as laisser errer son regard.
Examples in context
- J'aime errer à travers les champs.I like to roam about the fields.Tatoeba #3009318 by sacredceltic, translation #262016 by sacredceltic
- J'errerai dans les rues.I'll roam the streets.Tatoeba #8665426 by Rafik, translation #11669907 by tieguy
- Je me promène dans le quartier pour me détendre.I roam around the neighborhood to relax.
- Nous nous sommes promenés le long de la Seine.We roamed along the Seine.
- Il aime se promener seul dans les bois.He enjoys roaming alone in the woods.
- J'erre dans les rues depuis des heures.I've been roaming the streets for hours.
- On se balade souvent dans le parc le soir.We often roam around the park in the evenings.
- Elle adore errer dans les petites ruelles du vieux quartier.She loves wandering through the narrow alleys of the old town.
- On se promène à travers le Vieux-Québec chaque été.We roam through Old Quebec every summer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “roam” translations and entries errer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries errer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
