When you think of the verb 'to build' in French, the word construire probably comes to mind first. And you'd be right! It's the most direct translation.

But what if you're building a relationship, building a business, or even just building up your confidence? French, like English, has a variety of words to express this concept, each with its own specific nuance.

Learning these different verbs will not only make your French sound more natural and sophisticated but will also help you understand the subtle differences in meaning. Let's lay the foundation and explore 9 different ways to say 'to build' in French!

The standard 'to build' – construire

Construire is the most direct and common translation for the English verb 'to build' in French. It covers both the literal sense of erecting a physical structure and the figurative sense of developing something abstract.

The primary use of construire is for the physical act of construction. You use it when talking about creating buildings, infrastructure, or objects from various parts. For example, construire une maison (to build a house), construire un mur (to build a wall), or construire un meuble (to build a piece of furniture).

Just like in English, construire is frequently used in abstract contexts. It implies developing or establishing something over time. Common examples include construire une relation (to build a relationship), construire son avenir (to build one's future), or construire un argument (to build an argument).

Construire is an irregular verb. It belongs to a group of verbs ending in -uire, such as conduire (to drive) and traduire (to translate), which share a similar conjugation pattern. Its past participle is construit, which is used in compound tenses like the passé composé: j'ai construit (I built/have built).

The noun directly related to the verb is la construction, which means 'construction' or 'the act of building'. You will often see this on signs: Chantier en construction (Construction site).

💡 * Les Romains ont construit des aqueducs impressionnants.

• Il faut du temps pour construire une relation de confiance.
• L'entreprise va construire un nouvel immeuble de bureaux au centre-ville.
• Elle a construit sa réputation sur son intégrité.
• Nous avons construit cette cabane nous-mêmes.

The slightly more formal 'to build' – bâtir

While construire is the most common French verb for 'to build,' you'll also encounter bâtir. Think of it as a slightly more formal or traditional equivalent, often used in contexts involving significant or long-lasting structures.

The verb bâtir means 'to build' or 'to construct.' Its connotation often implies a sense of permanence, craftsmanship, or historical significance. You'd use it for things like castles, cathedrals, or even abstract concepts like building a family or a future.

So, what's the difference between bâtir and construire? Construire is the everyday, neutral term for building anything from a Lego set to a skyscraper. Bâtir carries more weight; it's the verb you'd use to describe building an empire (bâtir un empire) or establishing a solid reputation (bâtir une réputation).

Good news for learners: bâtir is a regular -ir verb, belonging to the second group of French verbs (like finir). This makes its conjugation predictable. For example, in the present tense, it's je bâtis, tu bâtis, il/elle bâtit, nous bâtissons, vous bâtissez, ils/elles bâtissent.

Beyond physical structures, bâtir is frequently used in a figurative sense. You can bâtir des châteaux en Espagne (build castles in the air, meaning to daydream) or bâtir son avenir (build one's future). This highlights its association with creating something foundational and important.

💡 * Ils ont bâti leur maison eux-mêmes. (They built their house themselves.)

• Le roi a fait bâtir ce château au 15ème siècle. (The king had this castle built in the 15th century.)
• Elle a bâti sa réputation sur l'honnêteté et le travail acharné. (She built her reputation on honesty and hard work.)
• Nous devons bâtir une relation de confiance avec nos clients. (We must build a relationship of trust with our clients.)

The 'to erect' or 'to build up' – ériger

The French verb ériger translates to "to erect," "to build up," or "to construct." It's a more formal and often literary term used for significant structures like monuments, buildings, or statues, conveying a sense of grandeur.

The most common use of ériger is in the context of physical construction, especially for something tall or imposing. You would use it to describe building a statue, a monument, a skyscraper, or a barrier. For more common, everyday building (like a house), the verb construire is typically used.

Beyond physical structures, ériger can be used figuratively to mean "to establish," "to set up," or "to elevate" something to a higher status. For example, one can ériger un principe en dogme (to elevate a principle into a dogma) or ériger un système (to establish a system).

Ériger is a regular -er verb, but it has a minor spelling change to maintain its soft 'g' sound. Before a vowel a or o, the g becomes ge. For instance, in the present tense nous form, it is nous érigeons.

💡 * La ville a décidé d'ériger une statue en l'honneur du héros local.

• Ils ont érigé des barrières tout autour du chantier.
• Le juge a érigé cette règle en principe fondamental.
• Un immense gratte-ciel a été érigé au centre-ville.

The literary 'to build' – édifier

While construire is the common verb for 'to build,' édifier is its more formal, literary counterpart, often carrying a sense of grandeur or moral purpose.

Literally, édifier means to build or erect a significant structure, like a monument, a palace, or a cathedral. It implies a grander scale than everyday construction.

More frequently, you'll encounter édifier in its figurative sense, meaning 'to edify'—that is, to instruct or improve someone morally, spiritually, or intellectually. It means to build up someone's character or knowledge.

You would not use édifier for building a simple house (construire une maison). Instead, reserve it for important historical buildings or for abstract concepts like building a theory or enlightening an audience.

💡 * Les Grecs ont édifié des temples pour honorer leurs dieux. (The Greeks built temples to honor their gods.)

• Son exemple de courage nous a tous édifiés. (His example of courage edified us all.)
• Ce documentaire édifie le public sur les enjeux écologiques. (This documentary enlightens the public on environmental issues.)
• La grande pyramide a été édifiée il y a des milliers d'années. (The great pyramid was erected thousands of years ago.)

The 'to assemble' or 'to put together' – monter

The verb monter is incredibly versatile in French. While it most famously means 'to go up,' it also carries the essential meaning of 'to assemble,' 'to build,' or 'to put together.'

This usage is very common in everyday life, especially for tasks involving assembly. You would use it for putting together furniture, setting up a tent, or even building a computer from parts. Think of any situation where components are joined to create a whole.

When used to mean 'assemble,' monter acts as a transitive verb, meaning it is followed by a direct object. The structure is monter quelque chose (to assemble something). For example, monter un meuble (to assemble a piece of furniture).

The context almost always makes the meaning clear. If the object is something that can be built or assembled (like a shelf or a tent), monter means 'to assemble.' If it's about movement (like monter les escaliers - to go up the stairs), it means 'to go up.'

You will frequently encounter this verb in instruction manuals, especially from places like IKEA. The instructions might start with a phrase like: Avant de monter votre meuble... (Before assembling your furniture...).

💡 * J'ai passé tout l'après-midi à monter cette bibliothèque. (I spent the whole afternoon assembling this bookshelf.)

• Peux-tu m'aider à monter la tente avant qu'il ne pleuve ? (Can you help me put up the tent before it rains?)
• Il adore monter des maquettes d'avions. (He loves to assemble model airplanes.)
• Nous devons monter le nouveau lit pour la chambre d'amis. (We have to put together the new bed for the guest room.)

The 'to make' or 'to manufacture' – fabriquer

The French verb fabriquer directly translates to 'to make' or 'to manufacture.' It emphasizes the process of creating a physical object, often from raw materials or by assembling parts. Think of it as 'to fabricate' in English.

While faire is the general verb for 'to make' or 'to do' (e.g., faire un gâteau - to make a cake), fabriquer implies a more industrial, technical, or complex construction process. You would say a company fabrique des voitures (manufactures cars), not fait des voitures.

Its use isn't limited to factories. An artisan can fabriquer des bijoux (make jewelry), and a skilled individual can fabriquer un meuble (build a piece of furniture). The key is the transformation of materials into a new, finished product through a structured process.

Just like 'to fabricate' in English, fabriquer can also be used figuratively to mean 'to make up' or 'to invent' something that isn't true, such as fabriquer une excuse (to make up an excuse) or fabriquer des preuves (to fabricate evidence).

💡 * Cette entreprise fabrique des téléphones portables.

• Mon grand-père a fabriqué cette chaise à la main.
• Il a fabriqué une excuse pour ne pas venir à la fête.
• L'artisan fabrique des objets en cuir uniques.

The 'to create' or 'to establish' – créer

The French verb créer is the direct equivalent of 'to create'. It's used in a wide variety of contexts, from artistic expression to technological innovation. For example, you can use it to talk about an artist creating a painting (créer un tableau) or a developer creating an application (créer une application).

Beyond its literal meaning, créer is also commonly used to mean 'to establish,' 'to set up,' or 'to found.' This is especially prevalent in business and organizational contexts. For instance, you would say créer une entreprise for 'to start a company' or créer une association for 'to establish an association'.

Créer is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard pattern for first-group verbs. The only slight peculiarity is the double 'é' in some forms (like the past participle, créé), but the pronunciation remains straightforward. In the present tense, it conjugates as: je crée, tu crées, il/elle crée, nous créons, vous créez, ils/elles créent.

💡 * L'artiste a créé une œuvre d'art magnifique. (The artist created a magnificent work of art.)

• Ils vont créer leur propre entreprise l'année prochaine. (They are going to create/establish their own company next year.)
• Le gouvernement a créé de nouveaux emplois dans le secteur public. (The government has created new jobs in the public sector.)
• Elle aime créer des vêtements pour ses poupées. (She likes to create clothes for her dolls.)

The 'to found' or 'to establish' – fonder

The verb fonder is the French equivalent of 'to found' or 'to establish.' It's a key verb for discussing origins, creations, and the basis of ideas.

In its primary sense, fonder is used for the creation of something significant and permanent, such as a company, a city, or an institution. It carries a formal and often historical weight. For example, you would say fonder une ville (to found a city) or fonder une organisation (to establish an organization).

Fonder is also frequently used in a figurative sense to mean 'to base something on.' This is often seen in the construction fonder quelque chose sur... (to base something on...). You can use it to talk about basing an argument on facts (fonder un argument sur des faits) or basing hopes on a promise (fonder ses espoirs sur une promesse).

From this verb, you get the important nouns for 'founder': le fondateur for a male founder and la fondatrice for a female founder. These are essential terms when discussing business, history, or non-profits.

💡 * Ils ont décidé de fonder une nouvelle entreprise ensemble. (They decided to found a new company together.)

• Sur quoi fondez-vous cette accusation ? (On what do you base this accusation?)
• La ville de Québec a été fondée par Samuel de Champlain. (Quebec City was founded by Samuel de Champlain.)
• Elle est la fondatrice de cette organisation caritative. (She is the founder of this charity organization.)

1. The Verb for 'to develop' or 'to draw up': élaborer

The French verb élaborer translates to 'to develop,' 'to draw up,' 'to devise,' or 'to work out.' While it looks like the English word 'elaborate,' it's not typically used to mean 'to add more detail to something already said.' Instead, it refers to the process of creating something complex and detailed from the beginning, often through careful thought and planning.

Élaborer is most frequently used in professional, academic, or formal contexts. You will often see it paired with nouns that represent a structured creation, such as:

• élaborer un plan (to draw up a plan)
• élaborer une stratégie (to devise a strategy)
• élaborer un projet (to develop a project)
• élaborer un rapport (to prepare a report)

While sometimes interchangeable with développer (to develop), élaborer puts more emphasis on the intellectual work and detailed formulation of an idea. Think of élaborer as constructing the blueprint, while développer can refer to both the initial creation and the subsequent expansion or growth of that creation.

💡 * Nous devons élaborer un plan d'action pour le prochain trimestre. (We must draw up an action plan for the next quarter.)

• Le chef a élaboré une nouvelle recette complexe. (The chef developed a new, complex recipe.)
• L'équipe a passé des semaines à élaborer la stratégie de lancement. (The team spent weeks devising the launch strategy.)
• Il est chargé d'élaborer le rapport annuel de l'entreprise. (He is in charge of preparing the company's annual report.)

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

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

Our list features the most common and versatile verbs for “to build” in French, from the very literal construire to the figurative bâtir. However, the French language is rich with other terms, including technical vocabulary for specific industries (like monter for assembling furniture) and more abstract verbs for building relationships or careers.

You can uncover more nuanced verbs by doing an online search for specific contexts. For example, try searching “comment dire ‘build a case’ en français” or “verbe pour construire un argument”.

When you find a new synonym, it's crucial to check its definition and see how it's used in a sentence. The context will tell you whether you're building a skyscraper, a team, or a sandcastle.

As you immerse yourself in French media, listen for how native speakers talk about creation and development. Whether in a news report about a new bridge or a movie about building a new life, you’ll hear these verbs in their natural habitat.

For a deeper dive into words related to building, construction, and creation, exploring the WordReference or Larousse dictionary entries for construire and bâtir is an excellent way to expand your vocabulary.

I hope this guide helps you build a more robust French vocabulary. To leave you with an inspiring thought on the subject of building, here is a quote from the famous architect Le Corbusier: L'architecture, c'est une tournure d'esprit et non un métier. (Architecture is a state of mind, not a profession.)