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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to swim" in French?
nager
In French, "to swim" is nager.
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Pronunciation
nah-ZHAY. The 'g' becomes a soft 'zh' sound before the 'e', like in 'measure'.
Grammar notes
A regular ER verb with a spelling quirk. Before 'a' or 'o', the 'g' stays hard, so the 'e' is added: nous nageons, vous nagez. Otherwise it follows the normal pattern.
Example sentence
Nous nageons dans le lac.
We swim in the lake.
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How to remember nager
The soft 'zh' sound in nager is reminiscent of water flowing. Imagine a gentle swoosh as you swim.
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Questions about nager
How do you say "to swim" in French?
In French, "to swim" is nager. It is a noun.
How is nager written in French?
nager is written using the standard French script.
How is nager used in a sentence?
Use nager as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Nous nageons dans le lac. (We swim in the lake.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
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"To swim" in other languages
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