How do you say "hate" in French?

haïr

Verb Noun

In French, "hate" is haïr.

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Pronunciation

Pronounce it ah-EER, with a nearly silent h and a rolled r that gives the word a sharp, breathy ending.

Grammar notes

haïr is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Je déteste me lever dans le froid.

I hate getting up in the cold.

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How to remember haïr

Haïr starts almost like hair, so picture someone pulling their hair out because they hate something.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about haïr

How do you pronounce haïr?

Pronounce it ah-EER, with a nearly silent h and a rolled r that gives the word a sharp, breathy ending.

Is haïr formal or casual?

haïr is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is haïr used in French?

haïr is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Je déteste me lever dans le froid. (I hate getting up in the cold.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Hate" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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