The verb porter is likely the first word you learned for “to carry” in French. But what if you're carrying a tune, carrying out a task, or getting carried away? Just like in English, French has a wealth of verbs to express this seemingly simple action with much more nuance and color. Mastering these alternatives will not only enrich your vocabulary but also make your French sound more natural and precise. Let's explore 9 essential ways to say "to carry" and discover the perfect verb for every situation!

1. The standard 'to carry' – Porter

The verb porter is one of the most versatile and common verbs in French. Its two primary meanings are 'to carry' and 'to wear', making it an essential vocabulary word for everyday conversation.

When you need to express the action of physically holding and moving something, porter is the correct verb. It focuses on the act of supporting the weight of an object. For instance, porter une valise (to carry a suitcase) or porter un enfant dans ses bras (to carry a child in one's arms).

A very common use of porter is to describe what someone is wearing. Unlike English, French uses the same verb for carrying and wearing. This applies to clothes, accessories, makeup, and even hairstyles. For example: porter un chapeau (to wear a hat), porter des lunettes (to wear glasses).

Good news for learners: porter is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the standard, predictable conjugation pattern in all tenses, just like parler (to speak) or aimer (to love).

Beyond its literal uses, porter appears in many important expressions. For example, se porter bien/mal means 'to be in good/bad health', and porter un toast means 'to propose a toast'. Understanding these extends your fluency beyond basic vocabulary.

While the dual meaning of 'carry' and 'wear' might seem confusing, the context almost always makes the meaning clear. If the object is a piece of clothing (un manteau), porter means 'to wear'. If it's a transportable item (une boîte), it means 'to carry'.

💡 * Il porte un t-shirt bleu aujourd'hui.

• Peux-tu m'aider à porter ces boîtes ? Elles sont lourdes.
• Comment vous portez-vous ? - Je me porte bien, merci.
• Elle porte toujours des bijoux en argent.
• Le projet porte sur l'environnement.

1. The Verb for Transporting: Transporter

The French verb transporter is a direct and straightforward equivalent of the English verb 'to transport' or 'to carry.' As a clear cognate, it's easy to recognize and is used in a wide variety of contexts involving the movement of something or someone from one location to another.

The most common use of transporter is for moving physical objects, goods, or cargo. Whether you're talking about a truck carrying merchandise, a ship transporting containers, or simply a person carrying a heavy box up the stairs, transporter is the appropriate and standard verb.

Transporter is also used for moving people, typically in a more formal or large-scale context. It's the verb you would use for a bus transporting passengers, a shuttle transporting tourists, or an ambulance transporting a patient. For simply giving a friend a ride, you would more commonly use emmener or conduire.

Beyond its literal meaning, transporter can be used figuratively to mean 'to carry away' emotionally. For example, a piece of music can vous transporter (transport you) to another time, or a powerful story can transporter the reader into its world. It implies being swept up by an experience.

From a grammatical standpoint, transporter is a regular -er verb. This is great news for learners, as it follows the most common and predictable conjugation pattern in French, making it easy to use in any tense without memorizing irregular forms.

💡 * Le camion transporte des meubles de Paris à Lyon.

• Ce train peut transporter plus de 500 passagers.
• La musique de ce film m'a complètement transporté.
• Il faut transporter ces caisses dans l'entrepôt.

The 'to carry to' or 'to bring' (something) – Apporter

The verb apporter translates to 'to bring' or 'to carry to'. It's a fundamental verb used when you are talking about bringing an inanimate object from one place to another.

An easy way to remember its meaning is by looking at its structure: à (to) + porter (to carry). So, when you apporter something, you are literally carrying it to a destination.

The key rule for using apporter is that it applies to things you can physically carry. Think of a gift, a book, some flowers, or a dish for a party. If it's a portable object, apporter is your verb.

It is very important not to use apporter for people or animals. To bring a person or a pet, you must use the verb amener. For example, you apportes a cake, but you amènes a friend.

Good news for learners: apporter is a regular -er verb. It conjugates just like common verbs such as parler (to speak), making it predictable and easy to use in different tenses.

💡 * J'apporte une bouteille de vin à la soirée. (I'm bringing a bottle of wine to the party.)

• Tu peux m'apporter mon livre, s'il te plaît ? (Can you bring me my book, please?)
• N'oubliez pas d'apporter vos passeports à l'aéroport. (Don't forget to bring your passports to the airport.)
• Elle a apporté un gâteau pour l'anniversaire de son ami. (She brought a cake for her friend's birthday.)

The 'to carry away' or 'to take away' (something) – Emporter

The 'to carry away' or 'to take away' (something) – Emporter

The verb emporter means 'to take something away' or 'to carry something off'. It implies taking an inanimate object from one place to another, with the focus on the act of leaving with the item.

A common point of confusion is the difference between emporter (to take away) and apporter (to bring). The key is the direction: you emporter something from where you are, and you apporter something to where you are going. Think of the prefix em- as signaling 'exit' or 'away'.

One of the most frequent uses of emporter is in the context of food. The phrase à emporter is the standard way to say 'to go' or 'takeout' at a restaurant or café.

💡 * Je vais prendre un café à emporter, s'il vous plaît. (I'll take a coffee to go, please.)

• N'oublie pas d'emporter tes clés avant de partir. (Don't forget to take your keys with you before leaving.)
• Le vent a emporté les feuilles mortes. (The wind carried away the dead leaves.)
• J'ai emporté un souvenir de Paris. (I brought back a souvenir from Paris.)

The 'to carry' by lifting – Soulever

When you need to talk about lifting something up from a surface, the French verb you're looking for is soulever. It specifically describes the action of raising something from a resting position, implying an upward movement against gravity.

The primary meaning of soulever is "to lift," "to raise," or "to pick up," especially when the object has some weight. For example, you would soulever a heavy rock or soulever le couvercle (lift the lid) of a pan. This is distinct from porter, which means "to carry" something around.

Beyond its literal meaning, soulever is frequently used in a figurative sense. You can soulever une question (to raise a question) or soulever un problème (to bring up an issue). In this context, it means to bring something to attention that was previously unmentioned.

The reflexive form, se soulever, takes on a different meaning: "to rise up" or "to rebel." For instance, le peuple s'est soulevé means "the people rose up." It can also mean to physically lift oneself, like sitting up from a lying position.

In short, use soulever for the initial action of lifting an object from a surface or for raising abstract concepts like questions or concerns. Use se soulever for rebellions or sitting up. Remember not to confuse it with porter (to carry) or amener (to bring a person).

💡 * Peux-tu m'aider à soulever cette table ? (Can you help me lift this table?)

• Son discours a soulevé l'enthousiasme de la foule. (His speech stirred up the crowd's enthusiasm.)
• L'avocat a soulevé une objection importante. (The lawyer raised an important objection.)
• Malade, il pouvait à peine se soulever de son lit. (Sick, he could barely lift himself from his bed.)

The 'to carry to' or 'to bring' (someone) – Amener

The French verb amener translates to 'to bring' or 'to take,' but it is used specifically for people or animals—living beings that can move on their own. The core idea is leading or accompanying someone to a location.

Here's a classic point of confusion for learners. The rule is simple: use amener for people and pets you accompany, and use apporter for inanimate objects you carry. You amène your friend to a party, but you apporte a bottle of wine.

The prefix a- in amener implies movement towards a destination. The verb describes the entire action of taking someone from a starting point and arriving with them at the destination. For example, J'amène mon fils à l'école means I am taking my son to the school.

Amener is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the 'e' before the last syllable changes to an 'è' for the je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles forms to maintain the correct sound. For example: j'amène, tu amènes, il amène, but nous amenons, vous amenez.

💡 * J'amène ma copine au restaurant ce soir. (I'm bringing my girlfriend to the restaurant tonight.)

• Tu peux amener ton chien si tu veux. (You can bring your dog if you want.)
• Mes parents m'ont amené à Paris pour mon anniversaire. (My parents brought me to Paris for my birthday.)
• Qui vas-tu amener à la fête ? (Who are you going to bring to the party?)

The 'to carry away' or 'to take away' (someone) – Emmener

The verb emmener means 'to take' or 'to bring' a person (or a living being, like a pet) from one place to another. The key idea is that you are leading or accompanying them from a starting point to a destination.

A crucial distinction for learners is between emmener and emporter. Remember this simple rule: you emmener a person or an animal, but you emporter an inanimate object. If you can lead it, use emmener.

Pay attention to the conjugation of emmener. It's a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the first 'e' of the stem changes to 'è' for most singular and the third-person plural forms: j'emmène, tu emmènes, il/elle emmène, and ils/elles emmènent.

💡 * J'emmène mes enfants au parc tous les samedis. (I take my children to the park every Saturday.)

• Pouvez-vous m'emmener à la gare, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you take me to the train station, please?)
• Il a emmené sa copine voir un film pour leur premier rendez-vous. (He took his girlfriend to see a movie for their first date.)
• N'oublie pas d'emmener le chien avec toi ! (Don't forget to take the dog with you!)

The 'to carry' in your hands or 'to hold' – Tenir

The verb tenir is a fundamental French verb that primarily means 'to hold' or 'to carry' something, usually in your hands. It's an essential verb for describing physical actions and also features in numerous important figurative expressions.

At its core, tenir describes the action of gripping, grasping, or supporting an object with your hands. Think of it as the direct opposite of letting go. You would use tenir to talk about holding a pen, a book, or someone's hand. It implies a firm grasp or support in a specific position.

Tenir extends far beyond its physical meaning. It's a key component in many idioms, such as tenir une promesse (to keep a promise), tenir le coup (to hang in there/cope), and the very common tenir à quelqu'un/quelque chose (to care for/be attached to someone/something).

Be aware that tenir is an irregular verb. Its conjugation pattern is similar to another common verb, venir (to come). For example, in the present tense, it is je tiens, tu tiens, il/elle/on tient, nous tenons, vous tenez, ils/elles tiennent.

💡 * Tiens la porte, s'il te plaît. (Hold the door, please.)

• Elle tenait son sac à la main. (She was holding her bag in her hand.)
• Je tiens beaucoup à toi. (I care a lot about you.)
• Il faut tenir sa promesse. (One must keep one's promise.)

4. To Lead a Project or a Life: Mener

The French verb mener translates to "to lead" or "to carry out." Unlike verbs for physical carrying, mener is used for abstract concepts. Think of it as guiding, directing, or being in charge of something intangible, such as a project, an activity, or a way of life.

Mener is frequently used in professional and formal contexts. It's the go-to verb when you talk about conducting an investigation (mener une enquête), running a campaign (mener une campagne), or carrying out negotiations (mener des négociations). It implies a process that you are directing from start to finish.

A very common and important expression is mener une vie (to lead a life). This phrase is used to describe the kind of lifestyle someone has. For example, you can mener une vie simple (lead a simple life), mener une vie saine (lead a healthy life), or even mener la vie dure à quelqu'un (to give someone a hard time).

It's crucial not to confuse mener with porter. While both can be translated as "to carry," porter is for physically carrying an object (e.g., je porte un sac - I am carrying a bag). Mener, on the other hand, is for abstractly 'carrying' or leading a process or concept. You mène a project, but you porte a box.

💡 * L'équipe mène le projet avec beaucoup de succès.

• Elle mène une vie tranquille à la campagne.
• Le détective a été chargé de mener l'enquête.
• Il est difficile de mener une conversation avec lui.
• Les politiciens mènent leur campagne électorale.

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

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

Our list covers the most common and versatile French verbs for “to carry,” from the literal porter to the more abstract supporter. However, French is rich with specific vocabulary for carrying different things in different ways, including regional terms and technical jargon.

To find the most precise verb, you can search online for “comment dire to carry [a specific noun] en français.” The verb for carrying a conversation is different from the one for carrying a tune or carrying a heavy box.

Whenever you encounter a new synonym for porter, be sure to check its definition and see it used in a few example sentences. Context is everything—the verb for carrying a child is not the same as the one for carrying a disease.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to French content. You'll start to notice the subtle distinctions in how people talk about carrying objects, responsibilities, and even emotions.

If you want to explore the vast number of expressions related to carrying, the WordReference entry for porter is an outstanding starting point. It's filled with compound phrases and nuanced uses.

I hope this guide helps you carry your French knowledge to new heights. To finish, here is a classic French proverb that shows the figurative weight of this concept: Chacun porte sa croix. (Everyone bears their own cross.)