louer
/lwe/
To rent in French is louer.
louer is used to describe paying for the temporary use of something or allowing someone to use something in exchange for payment.
Which one should you use?
louer is a homonym that can mean both 'to rent' and 'to praise'.
How does it change in a sentence?
louer is a regular '-er' verb, meaning it follows standard conjugation patterns for the first group.
How do you pronounce it?
/lwe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse louer (to rent) with emprunter (to borrow). Use louer only when money is exchanged for the use of the item.
Did you know?
- The French word louer acts as both the 'rent' and 'lease' action, regardless of whether you are the landlord or the tenant.
- The 'praise' version of louer descends from the Latin laudāre, which is the ancestor of the English word 'laud'.
- If you want to say you are 'praising' something in a modern, casual way, you might use the verb vanter instead to avoid the ambiguity of louer.
Examples in context
- Je voulais louer un car.I wanted to rent a bus.This sentence shows the use of louer for renting a bus.Tatoeba #1354460 by sacredceltic, translation #1354102 by bapouy
- J'ai dû louer une voiture.I had to rent a car.This sentence shows the use of louer for renting a car.Tatoeba #3669957 by sacredceltic, translation #3670536 by mykolas
- Je veux louer une voiture.I want to rent a car.Tatoeba #4134818 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #4134771 by allasobirova
- Louer un appartementTo rent an apartment
- Nous louons une maisonWe rent a house
- Prendre cet espace en location serait une bonne optionTaking this space on lease would be a good option
- Je loue un studio en villeI'm renting a studio in the city
- Ils ont loué une voiture pour leurs vacancesThey rented a car for their vacation
- Ils ont loué un chalet à la montagneThey rented a cottage in the mountains
- Nous louons un appartement moderne en centre-villeWe rent a modern apartment in the city center
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are discussing their upcoming vacation.
- NathanEst-ce que nous allons louer un appartement ?Are we going to rent an apartment?
- EmmaOui, je vais louer un studio pour nous.Yes, I am going to rent a studio for us.
- NathanC'est une bonne idée, Emma.That is a good idea, Emma.
- EmmaJe cherche un endroit pas trop cher.I am looking for a place that is not too expensive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry louer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries louer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
