déménager
/de.me.na.ʒe/
The French phrase for 'to move' in the sense of changing one's residence is déménager.
déménager is a common and neutral verb used when you change the place where you live or where you keep your belongings.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between different types of movement. Use déménager specifically for changing your residence. In contrast, use bouger when you mean to move your body or shift your physical position.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of déménager is déménagé.
How do you pronounce it?
/de.me.na.ʒe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use bouger to mean moving to a new house. Remember that bouger only refers to physical motion, whereas déménager is the correct verb for moving house.
Did you know?
- In French, a 'ménage à trois' describes a domestic arrangement involving three people. It uses the same root as déménager to describe the composition of a household.
- The word ménage comes from the Old French mesnage, which originally referred to the 'provisions' or 'food' needed to run a house.
- While 'to move' in English can be vague, French speakers use déménager exclusively for changing homes, whereas using bouger for a house move sounds like you are physically sliding the building itself.
Examples in context
- Il nous faut déménager.We have to move.This sentence shows how to express the necessity of moving with déménager.Tatoeba #10027339 by AutoBot, translation #1893810 by CK
- Il m'a aidé à déménager.He helped me to move.This sentence demonstrates the use of déménager when receiving help with a move.Tatoeba #1276177 by sacredceltic, translation #297784 by patgfisher
- Quand vas-tu déménager ?When are you going to move?This sentence uses déménager to ask about the timing of a move.Tatoeba #4221790 by sacredceltic, translation #1535877 by tsayng
- Je vais déménager à Paris le mois prochain.I am going to move to Paris next month.
- Il a décidé de changer de domicile pour être plus près de son travail.He decided to move closer to his work.
- On va devoir déguerpir de cette vieille maison.We'll have to bug off from this old house.
- Il a décidé d'aller vivre à Montréal après son mariage.He decided to move to Montreal after his wedding.
- On va partir de ce village l'année prochaine.We're going to move from this village next year.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about their upcoming living situation.
- NathanTu vas déménager bientôt ?Are you moving soon?
- LéaOui, je dois déménager le mois prochain.Yes, I have to move next month.
- NathanEst-ce que tu vas déménager loin d'ici ?Are you moving far from here?
- LéaNon, je vais déménager dans le quartier voisin.No, I am moving to the neighboring district.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry déménager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
