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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to open" in French?
ouvrir
In French, "to open" is ouvrir.
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Pronunciation
oo-VREER. The 'oo' sound starts the word, and the stress falls on the second syllable.
Grammar notes
An irregular ER verb. Conjugates: j'ouvre, tu ouvres, il/elle ouvre, nous ouvrons, vous ouvrez, ils/elles ouvrent. The stem changes from 'ouv' to 'ouvr' in plural forms.
Example sentence
Elle ouvre la porte.
She opens the door.
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How to remember ouvrir
The French word holds the 'oo' sound at the start, and 'ouvre' has that double-letter pattern that hints at unlocking or opening something up.
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Questions about ouvrir
How do you say "to open" in French?
In French, "to open" is ouvrir. It is a noun.
How is ouvrir written in French?
ouvrir is written using the standard French script.
How is ouvrir used in a sentence?
Use ouvrir as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Elle ouvre la porte. (She opens the door.).
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"To open" in other languages
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