chanter
/ʃɑ̃.te/
To sing in French is chanter.
The phrase is used to describe the act of making musical sounds with the voice.
Which one should you use?
While chanter is the standard and most common way to say "to sing", you may encounter entonner in formal settings like group performances or choirs and the playful, informal expression pousser la chansonnette in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
chanter is a regular -er verb, which means it follows the standard conjugation patterns for first-conjugation verbs in French.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /ʃɑ̃.te/.
Did you know?
- The phrase faire chanter someone does not mean to make them sing, but rather to blackmail them.
- In French slang, the phrase chanter is sometimes used to describe someone who confesses a crime or 'sings' to the police.
- In older French literature, chanter was often used as a synonym for composing poetry, as poems were originally meant to be sung.
Examples in context
- Tu vas chanter ?Are you going to sing?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going to use the form chanter.Tatoeba #7414822 by lbdx, translation #69542 by CK
- Vas-tu chanter ici ?Are you going to sing here?Tatoeba #480714 by sacredceltic, translation #16718 by CK
- Il essaie de chanter.He is trying to sing.This sentence is useful for describing someone attempting to use the form chanter.Tatoeba #3675860 by nimfeo, translation #3675874 by Juba
- Les étudiants ont commencé à entonner un chant traditionnel lors de la célébration.The students started singing a traditional song during the celebration.
- Hier soir, nous avons poussé la chansonnette jusqu'au bout de la nuit.Last night, we sang our hearts out all night long.
- 154 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking about a talent show.
- ManonVeux-tu chanter pour le spectacle ?Do you want to sing for the show?
- NathanJe ne sais pas chanter très bien.I don't know how to sing very well.
- ManonTu devrais chanter cette chanson !You should sing this song!
- NathanD'accord, je vais essayer de chanter.Okay, I will try to sing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
