When you think of how to say "to dress" in French, the verb s'habiller probably comes to mind first. It's the most common and direct way, and you'll use it often. However, the French language offers a rich wardrobe of other expressions to describe the act of putting on clothes.

Why settle for a one-size-fits-all verb when you can be more specific? Whether you're bundling up for winter, throwing on a costume, or getting dolled up for a night out, there's a unique French term for it.

Let's explore 9 different ways to talk about dressing, so you can express yourself with more style and precision!

The standard 'to get dressed' – s'habiller

The most common and standard way to say 'to get dressed' in French is with the reflexive verb s'habiller.

s'habiller is a pronominal or reflexive verb. This means the action of dressing is performed by the subject on themselves. You'll always see it with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) that matches the subject.

The verb habiller itself is a regular -er verb, which makes conjugation straightforward. The key is to always include the correct reflexive pronoun before it. For example, in the present tense: Je m'habille (I get dressed), Tu t'habilles (You get dressed), Il/Elle/On s'habille (He/She/One gets dressed).

This is your go-to verb for the general act of putting on clothes. It's versatile and can be used in almost any context, from casual conversation to more formal situations.

A crucial distinction is that s'habiller refers to the entire process of getting dressed. If you want to talk about putting on a specific item of clothing, such as a hat or a pair of shoes, you should use the verb mettre.

For instance, you would say: Je m'habille pour sortir. (I'm getting dressed to go out). But if you are specifying the item, you'd say: Je mets un manteau. (I'm putting on a coat).

In the passé composé (a common past tense), all reflexive verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary verb être, not avoir. This is a common sticking point for learners. For example: Elle s'est habillée pour la soirée. (She got dressed for the party).

💡 * Le matin, je m'habille toujours après mon café.

• Dépêche-toi de t'habiller, nous allons être en retard !
• Comment tu vas t'habiller pour le mariage ?
• Ils se sont habillés chaudement pour affronter le froid.
• Habillez-vous, les enfants, le bus arrive !

The 'to put on' an item of clothing – mettre

When you want to say you're 'putting on' an item of clothing in French, the most common and essential verb you'll use is mettre. It is the direct equivalent for this action and is used universally.

Mettre literally translates to 'to put' or 'to place'. In the context of clothing, its meaning shifts seamlessly to 'to put on'. It's a fundamental verb for describing the daily routine of getting dressed.

It's important to note that mettre is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation doesn't follow the standard patterns of -er, -ir, or -re verbs. For instance, in the present tense, 'I put on' is je mets, 'you put on' is tu mets, and 'he/she puts on' is il/elle met.

The sentence structure is straightforward. You simply conjugate mettre according to the subject, followed by the article of clothing. For example: Elle met son chapeau (She puts on her hat).

Don't confuse mettre with s'habiller. While s'habiller means 'to get dressed' in a general sense (the overall action), mettre is used when you are specifying which particular item of clothing you are putting on.

In short, whenever you're mentioning a specific piece of clothing—a shirt, pants, shoes, or a jacket—mettre is the precise and correct verb to use. Mastering it is a key step toward sounding natural in French.

💡 * Je mets une nouvelle chemise aujourd'hui. (I'm putting on a new shirt today.)

• Tu dois mettre un manteau, il fait froid dehors. (You must put on a coat, it's cold outside.)
• Elle met ses lunettes pour lire le menu. (She puts on her glasses to read the menu.)
• Le matin, nous mettons nos uniformes pour l'école. (In the morning, we put on our uniforms for school.)

The formal 'to clothe oneself' – se vêtir

While s'habiller is the everyday verb for getting dressed, se vêtir is its more formal and literary counterpart. It translates directly to 'to clothe oneself' or 'to dress oneself' and is often found in written French or used in very formal speech.

Se vêtir is a reflexive verb that follows the irregular conjugation of its root verb, vêtir. This means it doesn't follow the standard pattern for -ir verbs. The singular forms are je me vêts, tu te vêts, il/elle se vêt, but the stem changes in the plural: nous nous vêtons, vous vous vêtez, ils/elles se vêtent.

You would typically encounter se vêtir in literature, historical descriptions, or when discussing clothing in an elegant or abstract way. For daily conversation, you would almost always use s'habiller. For instance, to say 'I'm getting dressed,' you'd say je m'habille, not je me vêts.

A helpful way to remember se vêtir is to connect it to the common noun for clothing: un vêtement (an item of clothing) or les vêtements (clothes). They share the same root, which reinforces the verb's meaning.

Like all reflexive verbs, se vêtir uses the auxiliary verb être in the passé composé. This means the past participle, vêtu, must agree in gender and number with the subject. For example: Elle s'est vêtue rapidement (She got dressed quickly).

💡 * Il se vêt toujours avec beaucoup d'élégance.

• La reine s'est vêtue de soie pour la cérémonie.
• En hiver, il faut bien se vêtir pour ne pas avoir froid.
• Se vêtir de manière appropriée est important pour un entretien d'embauche.

The 'to slip on' quickly – enfiler

Enfiler is the perfect French verb to describe the action of putting on clothes quickly and easily, much like the English phrases "to slip on" or "to throw on." It suggests a casual, swift motion without much fuss.

This verb is most commonly used with simple articles of clothing that can be put on in one smooth movement. Think of items like a t-shirt, a coat, socks, or a pair of pants. While mettre is a general verb for "to put on," enfiler adds a specific nuance of speed and ease.

Beyond clothing, enfiler has other useful meanings. It can mean "to thread," as in enfiler une aiguille (to thread a needle), or "to string," like enfiler des perles (to string beads). The core idea of passing something through an opening remains consistent.

Good news for learners: enfiler is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the standard conjugation pattern of verbs like parler or chanter, making it predictable and easy to use in different tenses.

💡 * Enfile ton manteau, nous partons !

• J'ai juste enfilé un jean et un t-shirt ce matin.
• Elle enfile ses gants avant de jardiner.
• Il est difficile d'enfiler le fil dans cette petite aiguille.

The 'to wear' – porter

The most direct and common translation for 'to wear' in French is the verb porter. It's the first word you should learn for describing what someone has on.

You use porter for any item of clothing, footwear, or accessory. This includes everything from a t-shirt and jeans to glasses and jewelry. For example, porter un chapeau (to wear a hat) or porter des lunettes (to wear glasses).

A crucial point for learners is that porter also means 'to carry.' The meaning is determined by the context. For example, Je porte mon sac can mean 'I am wearing my bag' (like a purse slung over a shoulder) or 'I am carrying my bag' (like a shopping bag in hand).

Grammatically, porter is a regular -er verb, which makes it relatively easy to conjugate. It follows the same pattern as common verbs like parler (to speak) and aimer (to love).

In short, porter is your go-to verb for 'to wear.' Just remember its double meaning and let the object being worn or carried guide your understanding. If it's clothing, it's 'wear'; if it's a heavy box, it's 'carry'.

💡 * Elle porte une jupe bleue aujourd'hui. (She is wearing a blue skirt today.)

• En hiver, nous portons des gants et des écharpes. (In winter, we wear gloves and scarves.)
• Pouvez-vous m'aider à porter cette valise ? (Can you help me carry this suitcase?)
• Il porte toujours des lunettes de soleil, même quand il pleut. (He always wears sunglasses, even when it's raining.)

The 'to cover up' or 'dress warmly' – se couvrir

In French, the reflexive verb se couvrir is a crucial expression for talking about clothing and weather. Its literal translation is 'to cover oneself,' but in everyday language, it specifically means 'to dress warmly' or 'to cover up' to protect against the cold.

As a reflexive verb, se couvrir must be conjugated with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: je me couvre, tu te couvres, il/elle se couvre, nous nous couvrons, vous vous couvrez, ils/elles se couvrent. This is essential for using the verb correctly.

This verb is most often used as a piece of advice or a command, particularly when someone is about to go out into cold weather. The imperative form, Couvre-toi ! (Cover up!) or Couvrez-vous bien ! (Dress warmly!), is extremely common.

It's important to distinguish se couvrir from its non-reflexive counterpart, couvrir. While je me couvre means 'I am dressing warmly,' the phrase je couvre le livre means 'I am covering the book.' The reflexive pronoun completely changes the meaning from acting on an object to acting on oneself.

💡 * Il fait froid, pense à bien te couvrir avant de sortir.

• Couvre-toi la gorge avec une écharpe pour ne pas tomber malade.
• Les randonneurs se sont couverts de la tête aux pieds pour affronter la tempête de neige.
• Même en été, il faut se couvrir le soir dans les montagnes.

The slang 'to dress up' or 'get decked out' – se saper

The verb se saper is a popular and informal way to say 'to dress up,' 'to get dressed up,' or 'to get decked out.' It implies putting effort into your appearance, often for a special occasion, by wearing nice or stylish clothes.

Se saper is a reflexive verb, so it always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se). It's commonly used in everyday, informal French, particularly among younger people. The related noun, les sapes (f.), is a slang term for 'clothes'.

As a regular -er verb, it follows a standard conjugation pattern. For example, in the present tense: je me sape, tu te sapes, il/elle se sape. In the passé composé, it uses être as the auxiliary verb: je me suis sapé(e).

💡 * Tu t'es bien sapé pour aller au restaurant ce soir ! (You really dressed up to go to the restaurant tonight!)

• Elle adore se saper, même pour aller faire les courses. (She loves to get decked out, even just to go grocery shopping.)
• On doit se saper pour le mariage de ma sœur. (We have to get dressed up for my sister's wedding.)
• J'ai dépensé tout mon argent dans les sapes ce week-end. (I spent all my money on clothes this weekend.)

1. The Slang for 'To Get Dressed': Se Fringuer

The verb se fringuer is a common slang term in French that means 'to get dressed' or 'to dress oneself up'.

It's the informal equivalent of the standard verb s'habiller. You'll often hear it in casual conversations among friends, but you would avoid it in formal settings like a job interview.

This verb is directly related to the very common slang noun les fringues (f.), which means 'clothes' or 'gear'. So, se fringuer literally means 'to put on one's clothes'.

Despite being slang, se fringuer is a regular -er verb, which makes it easy to conjugate. Just remember to include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb.

💡 * Allez, fringue-toi, on va être en retard ! (Come on, get dressed, we're going to be late!)

• J'ai acheté de nouvelles fringues pour la soirée. (I bought new clothes for the party.)
• Il se fringue toujours avec des marques de luxe. (He always dresses in luxury brands.)
• Comment tu vas te fringuer pour le mariage ? (What are you going to wear to the wedding?)

The idiomatic 'to dress to the nines' – se mettre sur son trente-et-un

The French expression se mettre sur son trente-et-un is a colorful idiom that means 'to dress to the nines' or 'to get all dressed up.' It describes the act of putting on your very best, most elegant clothes for a special occasion, like a wedding, a fancy party, or a formal event.

Literally translated, the phrase means 'to put oneself on one's thirty-one.' This doesn't make much sense, which is a classic sign of an idiom! It's a reflexive verb phrase using se mettre (to put oneself), and it always includes the possessive adjective son, which must agree with the subject (e.g., mon trente-et-un, ton trente-et-un, etc.).

The origin of this phrase is debated, but one popular theory links it to the textile industry. A 'trentain' was a luxurious type of cloth made with a specific number of threads, so 'putting on your 31' meant wearing the finest fabric. Another theory connects it to the card game trente-et-un (thirty-one), a precursor to blackjack, where scoring 31 was the ultimate goal, symbolizing the best possible outcome.

To use this expression, you must conjugate the reflexive verb se mettre and match the possessive adjective to the subject. For example: Je me mets sur **mon** trente-et-un (I'm getting dressed to the nines), Elle s'est mise sur **son** trente-et-un (She got dressed to the nines).

💡 * Pour le mariage de sa sœur, elle s'est mise sur son trente-et-un.

• Nous allons nous mettre sur notre trente-et-un pour le réveillon du Nouvel An.
• Pourquoi tu t'es mis sur ton trente-et-un ce soir ?
• Tous les invités s'étaient mis sur leur trente-et-un pour la soirée de gala.

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

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

Our list features the most common ways to talk about getting dressed in French, from the everyday s'habiller to the specific mettre. But the world of French fashion and language is vast, with many other terms ranging from haute couture jargon to regional slang.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for vocabulaire de la mode française or comment s'habiller en followed by a specific French city or region to discover local styles and terms.

You might find some very stylish synonyms for s'habiller on fashion blogs or in magazines. As always, pay attention to the context to understand if a term is formal, casual, or technical before using it yourself.

As you watch French movies, read magazines, and listen to native speakers, you'll pick up on the subtle nuances of how people describe clothing and the act of dressing. It's a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the culture of French style.

If you want to explore more words related to clothing and style, the WordReference entry for habiller is a great starting point for finding related nouns, adjectives, and expressions.

I hope this article has helped you dress up your French vocabulary. To finish, here is a perfectly fitting quote from the iconic Coco Chanel: La mode se démode, le style jamais. (Fashion fades, only style remains the same.)