The most common way you'll learn to say 'to cry' in French is pleurer. But what if you want to talk about shedding a tear, sobbing uncontrollably, or even crying tears of joy? The French language, rich in nuance and emotion, offers a variety of colorful expressions to describe the many ways we weep. Whether you're describing a character in a book, a scene in a movie, or just trying to express your own feelings more precisely, knowing these alternatives will add depth and authenticity to your French. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'to cry' and explore the subtle emotions behind each one!

The standard 'to cry' – Pleurer

Pleurer is the most common and direct verb for 'to cry' in French. It's a versatile word that can describe anything from a single tear to intense sobbing, making it your go-to choice in most situations.

Good news for French learners: pleurer is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the most common conjugation pattern in the French language, making it predictable and easy to master. For example, in the present tense, it conjugates as: je pleure, tu pleures, il/elle pleure, nous pleurons, vous pleurez, ils/elles pleurent.

To explain why someone is crying, you often use the preposition de to link pleurer with an emotion. This translates to crying 'out of' or 'with' a feeling. Common examples include pleurer de joie (to cry with joy), pleurer de tristesse (to cry with sadness), and even pleurer de rire (to cry with laughter).

When pleurer is used directly with a person or a loss as its object (without a preposition), it takes on the meaning of 'to mourn' or 'to grieve'. For example, Elle pleure son ami means she is mourning her friend.

A popular French expression is pleurer comme une Madeleine (literally, 'to cry like a Madeleine'). This idiom, referencing Mary Magdalene from the Bible, means to cry profusely or to sob one's eyes out.

💡 * Pourquoi est-ce que tu pleures ? (Why are you crying?)

• Le bébé a pleuré toute la nuit. (The baby cried all night.)
• Quand elle a gagné, elle a pleuré de joie. (When she won, she cried with joy.)
• Il ne faut pas pleurer sur le lait renversé. (There's no use crying over spilled milk.)
• Toute la famille pleure la perte de leur grand-mère. (The whole family is mourning the loss of their grandmother.)

The 'to sob' – Sangloter

For a more intense, dramatic, and descriptive way to say 'to cry,' the French verb is sangloter. This is the direct equivalent of the English verb 'to sob'.

Sangloter implies a very physical and often audible form of crying. It's not just tears; it involves shaky breaths, heaving shoulders, and the kind of crying that is difficult to control. It conveys deep sadness, grief, or overwhelming emotion.

The key difference between sangloter and the more common verb pleurer ('to cry') is intensity. You might pleurer during a sad movie, but you would sangloter upon receiving truly devastating news. Pleurer is the general term, while sangloter is a specific, powerful type of crying.

Fortunately for learners, sangloter is a regular -er verb. It follows the standard conjugation patterns. For example, in the present tense, you would say je sanglote (I sob), tu sanglotes (you sob), il/elle sanglote (he/she sobs), and so on.

The verb is directly linked to the masculine noun un sanglot ('a sob'). You can use this to describe the sounds of someone crying, for instance, étouffer un sanglot which means 'to stifle a sob'.

💡 * L'enfant sanglotait car il avait perdu son jouet.

• En entendant la nouvelle, elle n'a pas pu s'empêcher de sangloter.
• Il parlait d'une voix brisée par les sanglots.
• Je l'ai entendu sangloter doucement dans sa chambre.

The 'to burst into tears' – Fondre en larmes

A powerful and poetic way to say someone ‘burst into tears’ in French is the expression fondre en larmes.

Literally, this phrase translates to ‘to melt in tears.’ The verb fondre means ‘to melt,’ like chocolate or ice. This imagery beautifully captures the feeling of completely dissolving into tears, losing all composure.

Fondre en larmes implies a sudden, overwhelming, and often uncontrollable emotional release. It's more intense and dramatic than simply pleurer (to cry), suggesting that the person was completely overcome by their feelings.

To use this expression, you simply conjugate the verb fondre (a regular -re verb) according to the subject and tense, followed by en larmes. For example, in the present tense: je fonds en larmes, tu fonds en larmes, il/elle fond en larmes.

This expression is perfect for describing highly emotional situations, such as receiving shocking news, watching a very moving scene, or being overcome by immense joy or relief.

💡 * En lisant la lettre, elle a fondu en larmes. (Reading the letter, she burst into tears.)

• Le film était si touchant que j'ai fondu en larmes. (The movie was so touching that I burst into tears.)
• Quand il a retrouvé son chien, il a fondu en larmes de joie. (When he found his dog, he burst into tears of joy.)
• Ne me regarde pas comme ça, je vais fondre en larmes ! (Don't look at me like that, I'm going to burst into tears!)

The 'to cry one's eyes out' – Pleurer à chaudes larmes

The French expression pleurer à chaudes larmes literally translates to "to cry with hot tears." This imagery immediately conveys a sense of intense, heartfelt emotion.

Figuratively, this phrase is the direct equivalent of English expressions like "to cry one's eyes out," "to sob uncontrollably," or "to weep bitterly." It describes crying that is deep, profuse, and driven by powerful feelings.

This expression is used to describe a very strong emotional reaction. It's suitable for situations involving profound sadness, grief, disappointment, or even overwhelming happiness (tears of joy). It is not used for minor crying.

In a sentence, the verb pleurer (to cry) is conjugated to fit the subject and tense, while the adverbial phrase à chaudes larmes remains unchanged. For example, elle pleure (she cries) becomes elle pleure à chaudes larmes.

💡 * En apprenant la nouvelle, il a pleuré à chaudes larmes. (Upon hearing the news, he cried his eyes out.)

• Le film était si triste que j'ai pleuré à chaudes larmes. (The movie was so sad that I sobbed uncontrollably.)
• L'enfant pleurait à chaudes larmes après être tombé. (The child was weeping bitterly after falling.)
• Elle a pleuré à chaudes larmes de joie en retrouvant son chien. (She cried tears of joy when she found her dog.)

The slang 'to bawl' or 'to blubber' – Chialer

The slang 'to bawl' or 'to blubber' – Chialer

Chialer is a very informal, slang verb in French that means 'to bawl,' 'to blubber,' or 'to whine.' It's a more intense and often pejorative alternative to the standard verb pleurer (to cry).

The tone of chialer is distinctly colloquial and can be dismissive or even mocking. You wouldn't use it in a formal context or to show sincere empathy. It often implies that the crying is excessive, unjustified, or childish.

Grammatically, chialer is a regular -er verb, which makes it easy to conjugate. For example, in the present tense: je chiale, tu chiales, il/elle chiale, nous chialons, vous chialez, ils/elles chialent.

This verb is typically used among friends in casual conversation. You might hear it used to describe a child having a tantrum or someone complaining incessantly about a minor problem.

While it's a great slang word to know and understand, be careful when using it yourself. Stick to using it in very informal situations where you are sure it won't cause offense.

💡 * Arrête de chialer pour rien ! (Stop bawling for nothing!)

• Il a passé toute la soirée à chialer sur son sort. (He spent the whole evening whining about his fate.)
• Le bébé n'arrête pas de chialer, je pense qu'il a faim. (The baby won't stop crying, I think he's hungry.)

The 'to tear up' – Larmoyer

The French verb larmoyer is the most direct equivalent of 'to tear up' or 'to get teary-eyed.' It is derived from the noun une larme, which means 'a tear.' At its most basic level, it describes the act of one's eyes welling up with tears.

While pleurer means 'to cry' or 'to weep' (implying a full flow of tears and sobbing), larmoyer describes a more subtle and often prolonged state. It's the act of being on the verge of tears, often with a connotation of whining, self-pity, or being overly sentimental. You're not necessarily sobbing, just tearful.

Larmoyer is frequently used in a slightly pejorative or critical way to describe someone who complains tearfully or gets emotional over small things. For instance, you might tell someone to stop larmoyant if they are whining about a minor issue.

Larmoyer is a regular -er verb, but it belongs to a group that changes 'y' to 'i' before a silent 'e'. The present tense conjugation is: je larmoie, tu larmoies, il/elle larmoie, nous larmoyons, vous larmoyez, ils/elles larmoient.

💡 * Arrête de larmoyer pour un rien ! (Stop getting teary-eyed over nothing!)

• Il a commencé à larmoyer en regardant la fin du film. (He started to tear up while watching the end of the movie.)
• Elle passe son temps à larmoyer sur son sort. (She spends her time whining tearfully about her fate.)

The formal 'to shed tears' – Verser des larmes

While pleurer is the common French verb for "to cry," verser des larmes is a more formal and literary alternative. It literally translates to "to pour tears" and carries a more poetic or dramatic weight, similar to the English phrase "to shed tears."

You will most often encounter verser des larmes in literature, formal writing, or to describe a profound and often silent expression of emotion. It's less common in everyday, casual conversation but is perfect for adding emotional depth and formality to your expression.

The phrase is composed of the regular -er verb verser (to pour), which is conjugated according to the subject and tense, followed by the partitive article des and the noun larmes (tears). For example, je verse des larmes (I shed tears) or il a versé des larmes (he shed tears).

💡 * En lisant sa lettre d'adieu, elle a versé des larmes silencieuses. (Reading his farewell letter, she shed silent tears.)

• Le discours était si touchant que de nombreuses personnes dans la salle ont versé des larmes. (The speech was so moving that many people in the room shed tears.)
• Il est rare de le voir verser des larmes, même dans les moments les plus difficiles. (It is rare to see him shed tears, even in the most difficult moments.)

The 'to have tears in one's eyes' – Avoir les larmes aux yeux

The expression avoir les larmes aux yeux literally translates to "to have the tears in the eyes." It's a very common and direct way to describe the physical state of one's eyes welling up with tears, indicating that they are on the verge of crying.

This phrase is not just for sadness. It can be used for any strong emotion that might bring tears to your eyes, such as overwhelming joy, pride, gratitude, or nostalgia. It describes the feeling of being deeply moved, regardless of the specific emotion.

To use this expression, you conjugate the verb avoir (to have) according to the subject and tense. The rest of the phrase, les larmes aux yeux, remains unchanged. For example: J'ai les larmes aux yeux (I have tears in my eyes) or Il avait les larmes aux yeux (He had tears in his eyes).

💡 * Son discours émouvant m'a mis les larmes aux yeux.

• Quand elle a reçu son diplôme, ses parents avaient les larmes aux yeux de fierté.
• J'ai les larmes aux yeux chaque fois que j'écoute cette chanson.

1. The slang 'to wail' or 'to bawl' – Brailler

The French verb brailler is a common, informal term that translates to 'to wail,' 'to bawl,' or 'to yell.' It's a more intense and often more negative word than the standard verb pleurer (to cry). It implies a loud, uncontrolled, and sometimes irritating form of crying or shouting.

Brailler is frequently used to describe children having a tantrum, someone complaining loudly, or a person shouting angrily. It's almost exclusively used in informal, everyday conversations. For instance, telling someone Arrête de brailler ! is a very direct way to say 'Stop yelling!'

Fortunately for learners, brailler is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the same simple conjugation pattern as verbs like parler (to speak) or manger (to eat). In the present tense, it conjugates as: je braille, tu brailles, il/elle braille, nous braillons, vous braillez, ils/elles braillent.

💡 * Le bébé a braillé toute la nuit. (The baby wailed all night.)

• Inutile de brailler, je ne changerai pas d'avis. (There's no use yelling, I won't change my mind.)
• Je l'entends brailler après ses enfants tous les soirs. (I hear him shouting at his kids every evening.)
• Mon petit frère braille toujours quand il n'a pas ce qu'il veut. (My little brother always bawls when he doesn't get what he wants.)

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

So, are there other ways to say 'to cry' in French?

Our list features the most essential verbs for expressing crying in French, from a simple pleurer to a dramatic sangloter. However, the French language is full of colorful expressions and idiomatic phrases to describe shedding tears.

To expand your vocabulary, try searching for “synonymes de pleurer” or “expressions avec larmes”. This can reveal more literary or specific ways to talk about crying that you can add to your repertoire.

Pay close attention when you're watching French movies or reading French literature. Notice which words authors and screenwriters use to describe a character's tears. This is the best way to understand the subtle emotional weight of each term.

If you want to explore more nuanced vocabulary related to sadness and crying, online dictionaries like Larousse or Le Robert are fantastic resources. They often provide example sentences that show the words in their natural context.

I hope this list has been helpful for adding more emotional depth to your French. Let's end with a beautiful and fitting quote from the writer Alfred de Musset: Les plus désespérés sont les chants les plus beaux, Et j'en sais d'immortels qui sont de purs sanglots. (The most beautiful songs are the most desperate, and I know some immortal ones that are pure sobs.)