Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| voguer | /vɔ.ɡe/ | intransitive |
| faire du bateau | ||
| faire de la voile | ||
| naviguer | /na.vi.ɡe/ |
The term for sail depends on whether you are describing a poetic movement, a general activity or a specific type of vessel.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these forms depends on the context: faire du bateau is a very common, colloquial way to say one is going out on a boat for leisure, regardless of the specific type of boat. Use faire de la voile when you want to specify the activity of sailing with sails. Naviguer is more general and is used to describe the act of navigating or traveling through water, which can apply to many types of vessels, not just sailboats. Finally, voguer is used in a more poetic or literary sense to describe a boat gliding smoothly across the water.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
voguer is pronounced /vɔ.ɡe/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the word naviguer is used for both sailing the seas and 'surfing' the internet. While English uses 'surf', French describes the digital journey as navigation.
- The French word bateau actually comes from the Old English 'boat' via Anglo-Norman. It eventually replaced the native French word nef, which was derived from the Latin 'navis'.
- While naviguer is used for any vessel, French has a specific distinction between bateau for a general boat and navire for a large ship, often used in formal or maritime contexts.
Examples in context
- J'aimerais voguer autour du monde.I'd like to sail around the world.This sentence uses voguer.Tatoeba #1360593 by sacredceltic, translation #273400 by CK
- Sais-tu naviguer ?Do you know how to sail?This sentence uses naviguer.Tatoeba #6576962 by GB3, translation #6576714 by Eccles17
- Mary a dit qu'elle voulait apprendre à faire de la voile.Mary said she wanted to learn how to sail a boat.This sentence uses faire de la voile.Tatoeba #7705299 by lbdx, translation #6413383 by CF
- Ce bateau navigue sur les eaux calmes du lac.This boat is sailing on the calm waters of the lake.
- J'aime faire de la voile pendant mes vacances en Bretagne.I enjoy sailing during my vacations in Brittany.
- Nous allons naviguer autour du monde.We're going to sail around the world.
- J'ai toujours rêvé de faire de la voile sur la Méditerranée.I have always dreamt of sailing in the Mediterranean.
- Les marins filent au gré du vent sur leur voilier.The sailors sail with the wind on their sailboat.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are looking at an old map of the coast.
- EmmaOn pourrait voguer vers le sud.We could sail south.
- NathanC'est une excellente idée, Emma.That is an excellent idea, Emma.
- EmmaVeux-tu voguer avec moi demain ?Do you want to sail with me tomorrow?
- NathanOui, je suis prêt, Nathan.Yes, I am ready, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sail” translations and entries voguer, naviguer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bateau, de, du, faire, la, voguer, voile, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
