taquiner
/ta.ki.ne/
To tease in French is taquiner.
The verb taquiner is used for lighthearted, affectionate or playful teasing rather than malicious bullying.
Meaning: to poke fun at (verb)
Which one should you use?
While taquiner implies playful or lighthearted teasing, the phrase se moquer de is more direct and can be more hurtful or mocking. Additionally, the informal term charrier can be used to mean teasing or making fun of someone good-naturedly.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ta.ki.ne/.
Did you know?
- If you use the slang term charrier, you are actually using a metaphor related to a carriage or a heavy load, implying that you are 'dragging' or 'carrying' someone too far with your jokes.
- In older French and some regional dialects, the root of taquiner described someone who was not just playful but also cunning or tricky.
- The adjective taquin describes a person's inherent mischievous personality, even when they are not actively teasing someone.
Examples in context
- Il n'a pas dit ça méchamment, c'était pour te taquiner.He didn't say that to be mean, it was just to tease you.This sentence shows how to use taquiner to explain that a comment was not intended to be mean.
- Il aime taquiner ses collègues lors des réunions.He enjoys teasing his colleagues during meetings.
- Arrête de m'embêter !Stop teasing me!
- Les frères jumeaux se charrient tout le temps.The twins tease each other all the time.
- Arrête de me titiller, ça devient fatigant !Stop teasing me, it's becoming tiresome!
- Arrête de me taquiner avec ça !Stop teasing me about that!
- Elle aime bien taquiner ses collègues.She likes to tease her colleagues.
Example conversation
Two friends are joking around in a café.
- NathanTu ne vas pas vraiment porter cette chemise ?You aren't really going to wear that shirt?
- EmmaArrête de me taquiner, Nathan !Stop teasing me, Nathan!
- NathanJe plaisante, elle te va très bien.I'm joking, it looks great on you.
- EmmaMerci, j'ai eu peur un instant.Thanks, I was scared for a second.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tease” translations and entries taquiner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
