taper
/ta.pe/
The French phrase for 'to type' is taper.
taper is used to describe the act of writing text by pressing keys on a keyboard. While you can use taper alone, it is very common to use the preposition sur (on) followed by un clavier (a keyboard) to specify that you are typing on a keyboard, as in taper sur un clavier. Note that taper is polysemous. Outside of a computing context, it can also mean 'to hit' or 'to tap', such as hitting a ball or tapping a surface.
Which one should you use?
While taper is common for general typing, in formal or technical contexts, such as software interfaces or professional data entry, the verb saisir is often used to mean 'to input' or 'to enter' text.
How do you pronounce it?
/ta.pe/
Did you know?
- The verb taper shares a common ancestor with the English word 'dab', tracing back to Germanic roots that describe a light, repetitive striking motion.
- Because taper also means 'to hit' or 'to strike', telling someone to 'taper sur le clavier' can sound slightly aggressive, as if you are striking the keyboard rather than typing.
- In French, if you 'type' a rhythm on a table with your fingers, you are still using taper. This keeps the word tied to the physical sound of a strike rather than the digital result.
Examples in context
- Savez-vous taper à la machine ?Are you able to type?This sentence uses taper to ask about the ability to type on a machine.Tatoeba #8970 by dominiko, translation #16527 by CK
- Je suis en train d'apprendre à taper à la machine.I'm learning how to type.This sentence uses taper to describe the process of learning how to type.Tatoeba #3575993 by Rovo, translation #28997 by CK
- Son travail est de taper à la machine.Her job is to type.This sentence uses taper to describe a job involving typing.Tatoeba #140136 by hortusdei, translation #309316 by Dejo
- Je dois taper sur mon clavier pour terminer cette tâche.I have to type on my keyboard to finish this task.
- Je préfère utiliser un traitement de texte pour taper des documents importants.I prefer to use word processing software to type important documents.
- Je suis en train de composer un message sur mon clavier pour lui répondre.I am typing a message on my keyboard to reply to him/her.
- Je dois taper sur le clavier pour terminer cette réponse.I have to type on the keyboard to finish this reply.
- Je me mets à taper sur mon clavierI start typing on my keyboard
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are in an office.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu peux taper ce document ?Can you type this document?
- HugoOui, je vais le taper tout de suite.Yes, I will type it right away.
- EmmaMerci, Hugo, c'est très gentil.Thanks, Hugo, that is very kind.
- HugoDe rien, Emma, aucun problème.You're welcome, Emma, no problem.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry taper, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries taper, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
