boire
/bwaʁ/
To drink in French is boire.
Boire is the general verb for 'to drink'. You can use the phrase à boire to describe something intended for drinking, such as quelque chose à boire (something to drink). If your focus is specifically on hydration, especially in professional contexts, you might use S'hydrater. To express the broader sense of 'to have a drink', you can use Prendre un verre.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present tense form of boire is boit (drinks / is drinking). The past participle is bu (drank / has drunk).
How do you pronounce it?
/bwaʁ/
When do people say it?
In France, it is common to boire un apéritif, which means to have an aperitif before a meal.
Did you know?
- The French verb boire is used in the phrase boire la tasse, which literally means 'to drink the cup' but actually refers to accidentally inhaling water while swimming.
- The word boire comes from the Latin word bibere, which is the same root used in English for the 'bib' a baby wears to catch spilled drinks.
- In French, the phrase boire un coup literally means 'to drink a blow' but is used as a common slang expression for having a quick drink with friends.
Examples in context
- Il me faut boire.I have to drink.Tatoeba #4593085 by sacredceltic, translation #2650960 by ddnktr
- Que veux-tu boire ?What will you have to drink?Tatoeba #400185 by sysko, translation #24714 by CC
- Donnez-lui à boire !Get him something to drink!Tatoeba #8676595 by Julien_PDC, translation #13079905 by zogwarg
- Je bois un café.I am drinking a coffee.
- Pouvons-nous prendre un verre après le travail ?Can we have a drink after work?
- N'oubliez pas de bien vous hydrater pendant cette réunion.Don't forget to hydrate yourself properly during this meeting.
- Tu veux boire un coup ce soir ?Do you want to have a drink tonight?
- On pourrait se taper un verre après le boulot.We could grab a drink after work.
- 294 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are at a cafe.
- ManonTu veux boire quelque chose ?Do you want to drink something?
- NathanOui, je vais boire un jus d'orange.Yes, I am going to drink an orange juice.
- ManonMoi, je préfère boire un thé.As for me, I prefer to drink a tea.
- NathanD'accord, on commande alors.Okay, let's order then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry boire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
