marcher
/maʁ.ʃe/
To walk in French is marcher.
marcher is used to describe the physical act of moving on foot by taking steps. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate that a machine or a plan is working or functioning.
Which one should you use?
While marcher refers to the physical movement of walking, use se promener if you mean walking for leisure or pleasure. If you want to describe wandering or strolling through streets specifically to admire the architecture, use flâner. To express the idea of going for a stroll or a casual walk, you can also use se balader. Additionally, la marche is the noun used to refer to the act of walking or a walk.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /maʁ.ʃe/.
Did you know?
- The verb marcher can be used in the expression marcher sur les plates-bandes, which literally means 'to walk on the flowerbeds'. It is used idiomatically to mean encroaching on someone else's territory or responsibilities.
- The word marcher is an etymological relative of the English word 'mark'. Both originate from a Germanic root meaning to designate a boundary or make a mark in the ground with one's foot.
- The French word flâner refers to a specific kind of urban strolling meant to observe the city without a destination. This practice was so culturally significant that it gave rise to the flâneur, a celebrated figure in 19th-century Parisian literature.
Examples in context
- Je ne peux pas marcher.I'm not able to walk.This sentence is useful for expressing an inability to use the form marcher.Tatoeba #7022238 by Rockaround, translation #5938292 by CK
- Ziri a commencé à marcher.Ziri started to walk.This sentence is useful for showing the start of the action using marcher.Tatoeba #11756898 by Amastan, translation #10764414 by Amastan
- Nous commençâmes à marcher.We started to walk.Tatoeba #1070324 by sacredceltic, translation #263273 by CK
- Je marche jusqu'au bureau tous les matins.I walk to the office every morning.
- J'aime bien aller à pied au parc.I like to walk to the park.
- On devrait se balader dans ce quartier.We should go for a walk in this neighborhood.
- Je flâne dans les rues pour admirer l'architecture.I walk around the streets to admire the architecture.
- 118 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are deciding how to get to the park.
- ChloéOn peut marcher jusqu'au parc ?Can we walk to the park?
- HugoOui, c'est une bonne idée.Yes, it is a good idea.
- ChloéTu aimes marcher en ville ?Do you like walking in town?
- HugoOui, j'adore ça.Yes, I love it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry marcher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marcher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
