The word 'dream' can mean so many things. Are you talking about the strange movie your brain plays for you at night, or are you talking about your biggest hopes and aspirations for the future? In French, just like in English, there isn't a single word that covers all these meanings. As you continue your French learning journey, you'll want to know exactly how to talk about both your nightly visions and your life's greatest ambitions. Let’s dive into the various ways to say “dream” in French!

The standard 'dream' (when sleeping or as an aspiration) – un rêve

The standard 'dream' (when sleeping or as an aspiration) – un rêve

Un rêve is the most common and versatile French word for 'dream'. It encompasses both the dreams you have while sleeping and the dreams you hold as aspirations or goals for the future.

Rêve is a masculine noun. Therefore, you always refer to it as un rêve (a dream) or le rêve (the dream). The plural form is des rêves (dreams).

The verb form is rêver. To talk about dreaming of or about something, you use the structure rêver de. For example, rêver de vacances (to dream of vacation) or rêver de devenir célèbre (to dream of becoming famous).

Context is crucial for understanding which type of 'dream' is being discussed. Mentioning the night (cette nuit, hier soir) points to a sleeping dream. Discussing the future (mon but, un jour je voudrais) indicates an aspiration.

To be very specific about a sleeping dream, you can use the expression faire un rêve. For example, J'ai fait un rêve étrange means 'I had a strange dream.' The opposite, a nightmare, is un cauchemar.

Rêve is also used idiomatically. The expression de rêve acts as an adjective meaning 'dream-like' or 'ideal', as in une maison de rêve (a dream house). Also, exclaiming Je rêve ! can mean 'I must be dreaming!' out of disbelief.

💡 * J'ai fait un beau rêve cette nuit.

• Mon rêve est d'habiter en France.
• Il rêve de devenir un grand chef cuisinier.
• Arrête de rêver et concentre-toi !
• Ils ont acheté une voiture de rêve.

The literary or poetic 'dream' – un songe

While un rêve is the common, everyday French word for a 'dream,' you will also encounter its more literary and poetic counterpart: un songe.

Un songe also translates to 'a dream,' but it specifically refers to a dream experienced during sleep, often implying a vision, a fantasy, or something with a mysterious or profound quality. It's less about aspirations and more about the narrative that unfolds in your mind at night.

The main difference between rêve and songe is the tone. Un songe carries a more elevated, formal, and sometimes old-fashioned weight. Think of the English distinction between a 'dream' and a 'vision' or 'reverie.' Using un songe adds a layer of literary or philosophical depth.

You are most likely to find this word in classic literature, poetry, plays, and philosophical writings. A famous example is the French title for Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' which is 'Le Songe d'une nuit d'été'.

In daily conversation, you would always use un rêve to talk about a dream you had last night (e.g., J'ai fait un mauvais rêve) or to discuss your goals (e.g., Mon plus grand rêve est de...). Using un songe in these situations would sound overly dramatic or archaic to a native speaker.

In summary, reserve un songe for understanding formal or artistic texts. While it's a beautiful word, stick to un rêve for all your day-to-day conversations about dreams and aspirations to sound natural and fluent.

💡 * Le poète a décrit la vie comme un songe fragile.

• Cette nuit, j'ai fait un songe étrange qui m'a semblé prophétique.
• Le titre de la pièce de Shakespeare est Le Songe d'une nuit d'été.
• Il se perdait dans de doux songes, oubliant le monde qui l'entourait.

The 'daydream' – une rêverie

For those moments when you're awake but your mind is wandering, the French have a beautifully specific word: une rêverie. This term perfectly captures the essence of a 'daydream' or a 'reverie,' often with a poetic or thoughtful nuance.

Une rêverie is a feminine noun that describes a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts. It's crucial to distinguish it from un rêve, which is a dream you have while sleeping. A rêverie happens while you are awake.

The noun rêverie is directly linked to the verb rêvasser, which means 'to daydream'. If you want to say that someone is daydreaming, you can say il/elle rêvasse.

This word is more common in literary or descriptive writing than in casual, everyday conversation. For a more informal way to say someone is lost in thought, you might use the idiom être dans la lune (to be in the moon).

The plural, des rêveries, refers to multiple instances of daydreaming or a person's tendency to be lost in thought. For example, 'Il est souvent perdu dans ses rêveries' means 'He is often lost in his daydreams'.

💡 * J'ai été tiré de ma rêverie par le téléphone.

• Les après-midis de pluie sont parfaits pour la rêverie.
• Son visage avait une expression de douce rêverie.
• Elle passait ses journées dans des rêveries sans fin.

The 'nightmare' or 'bad dream' – un cauchemar

The 'nightmare' or 'bad dream' – un cauchemar

Un cauchemar is the direct French translation for a 'nightmare' or a 'bad dream'. Importantly, it is a masculine noun, so it is always preceded by masculine articles like un (a) or le (the).

Like its English counterpart, cauchemar is frequently used in a figurative sense to describe any awful or highly stressful situation. A terrible vacation, a difficult project, or a chaotic event can all be described as un cauchemar.

The verb form is cauchemarder, which means 'to have a nightmare'. You can use it to say someone is actively having a bad dream, for example: Il cauchemarde souvent (He often has nightmares).

💡 * J'ai fait un cauchemar horrible la nuit dernière. (I had a horrible nightmare last night.)

• Cet examen de maths était un vrai cauchemar ! (That math exam was a real nightmare!)
• Le film d'horreur l'a fait cauchemarder toute la nuit. (The horror movie made him have nightmares all night.)
• Vivre cette situation, c'est un cauchemar éveillé. (Living through this situation is a waking nightmare.)

The 'dream' as a goal or ambition – une ambition

When your 'dream' is a life goal or a strong desire for achievement, the French word you're looking for is une ambition.

Une ambition refers to a strong desire to achieve success, power, or a specific goal. It's less about a fantasy and more about a concrete, long-term objective that you actively work towards.

This is a standard, slightly formal term that can be used in almost any context, from professional settings to personal conversations about life goals. It conveys a sense of seriousness and determination.

Remember that ambition is a feminine noun in French. This means you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it, such as une grande ambition (a great ambition) or mon ambition (my ambition).

While un rêve (a dream) can also describe an aspiration, une ambition is more grounded in reality and planning. A rêve can be a whimsical wish, but an ambition implies a strategy and the will to succeed.

💡 * Mon ambition est de devenir un grand chef cuisinier. (My ambition is to become a great chef.)

• C'est une femme avec beaucoup d'ambition. (She is a woman with a lot of ambition.)
• Son ambition principale est de créer sa propre entreprise. (His main ambition is to create his own company.)
• Quelles sont tes ambitions dans la vie ? (What are your ambitions in life?)

The 'dream' as a perfect standard – un idéal

When you talk about your "dream" job, "dream" house, or "dream" partner, you're not referring to something you saw while sleeping. You mean the perfect or ideal version. In French, the word for this concept is un idéal (a noun) or idéal / idéale (an adjective).

You can use this word in two main ways. As a noun, l'idéal means "the ideal" or "the perfect standard." More commonly, you'll use it as an adjective that must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. For example, un travail idéal (a dream job - masculine) and la femme idéale (the dream woman - feminine).

This is the go-to term for many common English "dream" phrases. For instance, "dream job" is le travail idéal or le job idéal, "dream vacation" is les vacances idéales, and "dream house" is la maison idéale.

It's important not to confuse idéal with rêve. While rêve means "dream" in the sense of an aspiration or something you see in your sleep (e.g., Mon rêve est de voyager – My dream is to travel), idéal describes the perfect embodiment of a concept. You would say la maison idéale, not la maison de rêve.

💡 * Il a enfin trouvé le travail idéal.

• Pour moi, les vacances idéales sont à la plage avec un bon livre.
• Elle décrit son homme idéal comme étant grand, drôle et intelligent.
• C'est la solution idéale à notre problème.

The 'impossible dream' or ideal society – une utopie

When you want to talk about an 'impossible dream' or an idealized, perfect society in French, the word you need is une utopie. It's a direct cognate of the English word 'utopia' and carries the same meaning.

Une utopie is a feminine noun (nom féminin) that describes an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. It's often used to refer to visionary ideas for social or political reform that are considered highly unrealistic or impossible to implement.

In conversation, calling an idea une utopie often implies that it is naive or impractical. It can be used to describe anything from a grand political vision to a personal, idealistic goal that seems out of reach. It highlights the gap between a perfect ideal and reality.

💡 * Son projet d'un monde sans guerres est une belle utopie.

• Le film présente une utopie technologique où les robots font tout le travail.
• Beaucoup considèrent le communisme comme une utopie irréalisable.
• C'est une utopie de penser qu'on peut résoudre tous les problèmes écologiques en un an.

The 'false dream' or illusion – une illusion

The 'false dream' or illusion – une illusion

The French noun une illusion translates directly to 'an illusion.' It describes a false perception, a deceptive appearance, or a belief that isn't grounded in reality. It perfectly encapsulates the concept of a 'false dream' or a deep-seated misconception.

This word is versatile, used for everything from optical illusions (une illusion d'optique) to profound self-deception. If someone holds an unrealistic hope about a person or situation, you can say they are living in an illusion.

A crucial related phrase is se faire des illusions, which means 'to delude oneself' or 'to get one's hopes up for nothing.' It highlights the act of creating a false, hopeful reality.

💡 * Ne te fais pas d'illusions, ce travail est très difficile. (Don't delude yourself, this job is very difficult.)

• J'ai eu l'illusion qu'il changerait, mais c'était une erreur. (I was under the illusion that he would change, but it was a mistake.)
• Son succès n'est qu'une illusion ; en réalité, il est endetté. (His success is just an illusion; in reality, he is in debt.)
• Les magiciens sont des maîtres de l'illusion. (Magicians are masters of illusion.)

The 'wild' or 'fanciful dream' – une chimère

In French, une chimère (a feminine noun) refers to a fanciful or illusory dream, an idea that is impossible to realize. It's the perfect word for what we might call a 'pipe dream' or a 'fantasy' in English.

The word originates from the Chimera of Greek mythology, a monstrous, fire-breathing creature composed of the parts of multiple animals. This mythological origin story perfectly captures the modern meaning of the word: something fantastical, pieced together from imagination, and ultimately, not real.

You would use une chimère to describe a hope, goal, or project that is considered highly unrealistic or unattainable. It often implies that the person pursuing it is deluding themselves. For example, the idea of achieving world peace overnight could be described as une chimère.

Related to the noun is the adjective chimérique. This describes something as being imaginary, visionary, or unrealistic. You can talk about un projet chimérique (an unrealistic project) or des espoirs chimériques (fanciful hopes).

💡 * La paix universelle est-elle une simple chimère ? (Is universal peace just a fanciful dream?)

• Il poursuit la chimère de devenir riche sans jamais travailler. (He is chasing the pipe dream of getting rich without ever working.)
• Son idée était une belle chimère, mais impossible à mettre en œuvre. (His idea was a beautiful fantasy, but impossible to implement.)
• Arrête de courir après des chimères et sois plus réaliste ! (Stop chasing illusions and be more realistic!)

Are there other ways to say 'dream' in French?

Are there other ways to say “dream” in French?

Our list features the most essential ways to talk about dreams in French. But as a language rich in poetry and philosophy, French offers many other nuanced terms, from literary expressions to modern slang.

You can uncover more vocabulary by searching online for synonymes de rêve or exploring how dreams are discussed in French films, songs, and literature.

When you encounter a new word for “dream,” pay attention to its context. Is it about a hope for the future (un espoir), a fantasy (une fantaisie), or a vision from sleep (un songe)? Understanding the nuance is key.

Listen carefully as you engage with French media. You'll start to notice the subtle and beautiful ways native speakers express their dreams and aspirations, which will enrich your own vocabulary.

If you want to explore related concepts like 'daydreaming' or 'nightmare,' a great starting point is the Larousse dictionary entry for rêve, which provides many examples and related expressions.

I hope this guide has inspired you. To finish, here is a perfect quote from the legendary writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Fais de ta vie un rêve, et d'un rêve, une réalité. (Make your life a dream, and a dream, a reality.)