porter
/pɔʁ.te/
To wear in French is porter.
porter is used to describe having clothing, accessories or even scents like perfume on one's person. It is also used to mean 'to carry'.
Meaning: to have on (clothes or accessories) (verb)
Which one should you use?
While porter is the general term for wearing something, more specific verbs exist for certain contexts. Revêtir is a more formal term used for putting on attire for a specific purpose or ceremony, and endosser is used to convey the idea of donning or assuming a role or a uniform.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pɔʁ.te/ and has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse porter (to wear) with mettre (to put on). While porter describes the state of already having clothes on, mettre describes the actual action of dressing oneself.
Did you know?
- While porter is for clothes, the term endosser is used for donning a uniform and also means 'to endorse' a check or a candidate.
- The English word 'porter' for a hotel employee or a beer comes from the same Latin root as the French verb porter, meaning 'to carry'.
- A person who is 'wearing' a certain expression or look on their face in English is described in French as porter un regard or porter un air.
Examples in context
- Qui porterait ça ?Who would wear that?Tatoeba #7060804 by Aiji, translation #2647275 by CK
- Que vais-je porter ?What am I going to wear?Tatoeba #2216321 by sacredceltic, translation #2214177 by Hybrid
- Que devrais-je porter ?What should I wear?Tatoeba #5606064 by sacredceltic, translation #2768991 by Hybrid
- Je porte une robe élégante ce soir.I am wearing an elegant dress tonight.
- Il revêt le costume traditionnel chaque année pour la fête.He wears the traditional costume every year for the celebration.
- Je vais mettre ma veste noire préférée ce soir.I'm going to wear my favorite black jacket tonight.
- Elle porte toujours des jupes longues en été.She always wears long skirts in the summer.
- Je vais porter un chapeau pour me protéger du soleil.I am going to wear a hat to protect myself from the sun.
- Elle adore mettre des chemises à rayures.She loves wearing striped shirts.
- Il peut revêtir un costume pour la soirée costumée.He can wear a costume for the costume party.
- 117 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are deciding what to wear to a party.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que tu vas porter ce soir, Lucas ?What are you going to wear tonight, Lucas?
- LucasJe vais porter un jean et un t-shirt.I am going to wear jeans and a t-shirt.
- ChloéC'est trop simple, tu devrais porter une chemise.That's too simple, you should wear a shirt.
- LucasD'accord, je vais porter ma chemise bleue.Okay, I will wear my blue shirt.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wear” translations and entries porter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries porter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
