chanter
/ʃɑ̃.te/
To sing in French is chanter.
chanter is a verb that means to produce harmonious sounds with one's voice.
Meaning: to produce harmonious sounds with one’s voice (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the first and third person singular forms are chante, the first person plural form is chantons and the third person plural form is chantent. The past participle is chanté, which is used to mean sung.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ʃɑ̃.te/.
Did you know?
- The word chanter can be used as a slang term for 'to snitch' or confess everything to the police during an interrogation.
- The expression chanter faux is used when someone sings off-key, where 'faux' means 'false' or 'wrong'.
- While 'to sing' is chanter, the French use the phrase chanter les louanges to mean 'to sing someone's praises'.
Examples in context
- Tu vas chanter ?Are you going to sing?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going to sing.Tatoeba #7414822 by lbdx, translation #69542 by CK
- Vas-tu chanter ici ?Are you going to sing here?Tatoeba #480714 by sacredceltic, translation #16718 by CK
- Il m'a fait chanter.He made me sing.This sentence is useful for describing an action that someone was made to do.Tatoeba #4694599 by sacredceltic, translation #297721 by CK
- Je chante dans une chorale.I sing in a choir.
- Le chanteur a une voix incroyable.The singer has an incredible voice.
- Nous avons chanté une chanson traditionnelle.We sang a traditional song.
- Elle aime écouter les enfants chanter.She enjoys listening to children sing.
- On s'est retrouvés autour d'une guitare et on a poussé la chansonnette.We gathered around a guitar and sang together.
- Les enfants ont entonné une chanson populaire.The children struck up a popular song.
- 308 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are at a karaoke bar.
- HugoTu veux chanter une chanson ?Do you want to sing a song?
- ChloéOui, j'adore chanter !Yes, I love to sing!
- HugoChloé, tu vas chanter avec moi ?Chloé, are you going to sing with me?
- ChloéD'accord, c'est parti !Okay, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sing” translations and entries chanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
