voyager
/vwa.ja.ʒe/
Traveling in French is translated as voyager.
voyager refers to the general act of going from one place to another, typically over a long distance. If you want to describe someone who is currently away on a trip, use the phrase en voyage. Other ways to express movement include the idiomatic expression prendre le large to mean to set sail, or faire un saut dans le passé to mean to travel back in time.
How does it change in a sentence?
It is important to distinguish between the verb and the noun. The verb voyager describes the action of traveling, whereas the noun voyage refers to a specific trip or journey.
How do you pronounce it?
/vwa.ja.ʒe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use the noun voyage as a verb. In French, you must use the verb voyager to express the action of traveling.
Did you know?
- The English word 'voyage' comes from the French voyage, but in French, voyage is used for any trip, including a short drive or a flight, while English reserves 'voyage' for long journeys by sea.
- The expression prendre le large literally means 'to take the open sea', but it is frequently used idiomatically to mean escaping a stressful situation or fleeing.
- The noun voyage is closely linked to the Latin word 'viaticum', which originally referred to the money or provisions supplied to a traveler for a journey.
Examples in context
- Je n'aime pas voyager.I don't enjoy traveling.This sentence shows how to express a lack of enjoyment for voyager.Tatoeba #7895572 by felix63, translation #2271839 by CK
- J'ai plaisir à voyager.I enjoy traveling.This sentence shows how to express that one enjoys voyager.Tatoeba #5065667 by sacredceltic, translation #4498315 by CK
- J'aime voyager en hiver.I love traveling in the winter.This sentence shows how to express a preference for voyager during a specific season.Tatoeba #5647791 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5647621 by CK
- Je me rends à ParisI am traveling to Paris
- On part en voyage ensemble la semaine prochaine!We're going on a trip together next week!
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are talking about their upcoming summer plans.
- EmmaTu veux voyager cet été ?Do you want to travel this summer?
- NathanOui, je rêve de voyager en Italie.Yes, I dream of traveling in Italy.
- EmmaC'est une excellente idée, Nathan.That is an excellent idea, Nathan.
- NathanOn peut voyager ensemble si tu veux.We can travel together if you want.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry voyager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries voyager, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
