étudier
/e.ty.dje/
The French phrase for to study is étudier.
étudier is used when referring to the academic pursuit of a subject or a field of study.
Which one should you use?
While étudier means to study a subject generally, use réviser when you mean to review material or to study specifically for an upcoming test.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, it is common to use the expression réviser ses cours to mean to study.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the verb changes depending on the subject: étudie is used for I study, he studies or she studies. étudions is used for we study. étudiez is used for you study (plural or formal). And étudient is used for they study.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.ty.dje/
Did you know?
- In French, the word étude refers to both the act of studying and a legal firm or the office of a notary.
- While étudier is the academic term, French students often use the slang word bosser to describe the hard work of studying.
- The English word 'study' and the French verb étudier are distant cousins, both tracing back to the Latin 'studere', which meant 'to be eager' or 'to be diligent'.
Examples in context
- Tu dois étudier plus.You need to study harder.This sentence uses étudier to show a need to study harder.Tatoeba #334675 by sysko, translation #16372 by Swift
- Que veux-tu étudier ?What do you want to study?This sentence uses étudier to ask about a field of study.Tatoeba #2222139 by sacredceltic, translation #2220941 by CK
- Je sais quoi étudier.I know what to study.This sentence uses étudier to express knowing what to study.Tatoeba #2385877 by sacredceltic, translation #2376340 by CK
- Je vais étudier ce soir pour mon examen demain.I am going to study tonight for my exam tomorrow.
- Je dois me pencher sur cette question avant de prendre une décision.I need to study this matter before making a decision.
- Il se consacre à l'étude de l'histoire de l'art.He dedicates himself to the study of art history.
- On révise ensemble ce week-end ?Shall we study together this weekend?
- J'ai bossé toute la nuit pour mon examen de français.I've studied all night for my French exam.
- J'ai passé toute la soirée à réviser mes cours.I spent the entire evening studying my course materials.
- Il a passé des heures à potasser son manuel de mathématiques.He spent hours studying intensively his math textbook.
- 315 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking in a cafe about their upcoming finals.
- LucasTu veux étudier avec moi ?Do you want to study with me?
- ManonOui, je dois étudier aussi.Yes, I need to study too.
- LucasD'accord, on commence maintenant ?Okay, do we start now?
- ManonOui, Lucas, commençons.Yes, Lucas, let's begin.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry étudier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries étudier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
