se dépêcher
To rush in French is to say se dépêcher. If unsure, use se dépêcher. Wiktionary also lists se hâter.
Meaning: to hurry (verb)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| se dépêcher |
| se hâter |
The verbs used to express rushing describe the act of hurrying. While you may be looking for the verb, note that hâte is the noun for haste and jonc refers to a rush plant.
Which one should you use?
se dépêcher is the common, everyday way to say 'to hurry', whereas se hâter is a more formal or literary version meaning 'to hasten'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, the term se magner is often used informally to mean rushing or getting a move on.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both se dépêcher and se hâter are reflexive verbs.
Did you know?
- The root of se hâter is shared with the Old French word for 'spur', referring to the spiked tool used by riders to make a horse go faster.
- The word dépêcher originally meant 'to dispatch' or 'to send off a messenger'. Over time, the act of sending someone quickly evolved into the modern meaning of hurrying oneself.
- In Québec, se magner is a colorful colloquialism for rushing. It shares a root with the word for 'handling' or 'manipulating' objects, suggesting one must 'handle' themselves quickly.
Examples in context
- Il faut éviter toute précipitationWe must avoid any rush
- Veuillez traiter ce dossier en urgencePlease handle this file with urgency
- Faut se magner si on veut pas être en retard!We need to rush if we don't want to be late!
- Dépêche-toi !Hurry up!
- Il faut se dépêcher pour ne pas rater le train.We must hurry so we don't miss the train.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rush” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
