soutenir
/sut.niʁ/
Stand by in French, in the sense of supporting someone, is soutenir.
soutenir means to support or back someone, for example a friend in trouble or a colleague in an argument. It also means to hold something up physically.
Meaning: to support someone (verb)
Which one should you use?
Stand by has other meanings in English, such as waiting or being ready. Those senses use different French words, so soutenir fits only when you mean giving someone your support.
How does it change in a sentence?
soutenir is an irregular verb, and it takes the person you support as a direct object, as in le soutenir, to support him.
How do you pronounce it?
soutenir is pronounced /sut.niʁ/, in two syllables, with the French r at the back of the throat.
Did you know?
- The French word soutien is used for both a supportive friend and a physical bra. Both meanings rely on the idea of something that prevents another thing from falling.
- In French universities, the final defense of a PhD thesis is called a soutenance. This term comes from soutenir because the candidate is expected to support and uphold their arguments against a jury's questioning.
- If you want to say you stand by a decision, you might use the verb assumer. This changes the meaning from simply supporting a choice to taking full ownership and responsibility for it.
Examples in context
- Nous avons promis de le soutenir en cas de problèmes.We promised to stand by him in case of trouble.le soutenir means to stand by him, with le placed before the verb.Tatoeba #1199042 by rene1596, translation #243458 by CM
- Mes amis vont me soutenir pendant mon examen.My friends are going to support me during my exam.
- Il est important de soutenir ses collègues.It is important to support one's colleagues.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing a difficult project at work.
- NathanJe me sens très seul avec ce projet.I feel very alone with this project.
- ChloéNe t'inquiète pas, je vais te soutenir.Don't worry, I will support you.
- NathanC'est vraiment gentil de ta part, Chloé.That is really kind of you, Chloé.
- ChloéOn forme une équipe, n'est-ce pas ?We are a team, aren't we?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soutenir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
