étudier
/e.ty.dje/
To study in French is to say étudier.
The most common and straightforward translation for 'study' in French is étudier. Depending on the depth and nature of your study, other expressions may be more appropriate.
Meaning: to acquire knowledge (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use the verb étudier to describe the action of studying, whereas the noun étude refers to the subject or the result of study.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the forms of étudier change based on the subject: étudie is used for first-person singular (I study) and third-person singular (he/she studies), étudions is used for first-person plural (we study), étudiez is used for second-person plural or polite singular (you study) and étudient is used for third-person plural (they study).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /e.ty.dje/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word étude can refer to the professional office of a notary or a legal official, rather than a piece of academic research.
- To say someone is 'studying' in the sense of 'concentrating hard' on something, French speakers might use the verb potasser, which is a slang term for cramming.
- In French, you do not 'study' for an exam using étudier, but rather réviser, which literally means 'to revise'.
Examples in context
- Tu peux étudier ici.You can study here.This sentence shows how to use étudier to express ability.Tatoeba #474841 by sacredceltic, translation #16715 by CK
- Tu dois étudier plus.You must study more.This sentence shows how to use étudier to express necessity.Tatoeba #334675 by sysko, translation #16352 by CK
- Que veux-tu étudier ?What do you want to study?This sentence shows how to use étudier to ask a question about a subject of study.Tatoeba #2222139 by sacredceltic, translation #2220941 by CK
- Je vais étudier ce soirI am going to study tonight
- Je me penche sur le sujet de la philosophieI am studying the subject of philosophy
- Je me documente pour mon projetI am studying/researching for my project
- Je potasse mes cours de chimieI'm studying my chemistry notes
- J'apprends mes leçons pour demainI'm studying my lessons for tomorrow
- 435 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are talking about their university classes.
- ManonEst-ce que tu vas étudier ce soir ?Are you going to study tonight?
- LucasOui, je dois étudier pour l'examen.Yes, I have to study for the exam.
- ManonOn peut étudier ensemble à la bibliothèque.We can study together at the library.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée, Manon !That is an excellent idea, Manon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “study” translations and entries étudier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
