The most common way to say "to drink" in French is, of course, boire. But just like in English, there are many other colorful and nuanced ways to express the act of drinking.

Whether you're ordering a refreshing beverage, describing a quick gulp, or talking about a leisurely sip, knowing these different expressions will make your French sound much more natural and sophisticated.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to drink" in French and how to use them!

The standard 'to drink' – boire

The standard "to drink" – boire

Boire (pronounced bwahr) is the most common and fundamental French verb for "to drink." It's used for consuming any type of liquid, from water to coffee to wine.

It's important to note that boire is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation doesn't follow typical patterns. This makes it a key verb for learners to memorize.

Here's how boire is conjugated in the present tense, which you'll use most frequently:

• Je bois (I drink)
• Tu bois (You drink - informal singular)
• Il/Elle/On boit (He/She/One drinks)
• Nous buvons (We drink)
• Vous buvez (You drink - formal singular or plural)
• Ils/Elles boivent (They drink)

Boire is used in all general contexts where you would say "to drink" in English. Whether it's a glass of water, juice, or tea, boire is the verb you'll reach for.

While boire applies to all liquids, it's very commonly used when referring to alcoholic beverages. For example, to "go for a drink" or to say someone "drinks a lot" (in the sense of alcohol).

The past participle of boire is bu (pronounced boo). This form is essential for creating compound tenses like the passé composé.

To form the passé composé (past tense) with boire, you'll use the auxiliary verb avoir followed by bu.

• J'ai bu (I drank)
• Nous avons bu (We drank)

You can also use boire to give commands or make suggestions in the imperative mood:

• Bois ! (Drink! - informal singular)
• Buvez ! (Drink! - formal singular or plural)
• Buvons ! (Let's drink!)

Several common French expressions use boire, such as boire un verre (to have a drink), boire la tasse (to swallow water, often accidentally while swimming), or boire un coup (to have a quick drink).

💡 * Je bois de l'eau tous les jours. (I drink water every day.)

• Tu bois du café le matin ? (Do you drink coffee in the morning?)
• Nous avons bu trop de vin hier soir. (We drank too much wine last night.)
• Bois ton lait avant qu'il ne refroidisse ! (Drink your milk before it gets cold!)
• Ils aiment boire un verre en terrasse. (They like to have a drink on the terrace.)

To 'sip' or 'drink slowly' – siroter

To ‘sip’ or ‘drink slowly’ – siroter

While boire is the general verb for 'to drink' in French, when you want to express the idea of taking small sips, enjoying a drink slowly, or savoring it, the perfect verb to use is siroter.

This verb highlights the deliberate act of slow consumption, often implying pleasure or relaxation rather than simply quenching thirst. It's about the experience of the drink, not just the act of drinking.

Siroter carries a pleasant, unhurried connotation. You wouldn't siroter a glass of water when you're parched, but rather a cocktail on a terrace, a warm tea on a cold day, or a fine wine. It implies leisure and enjoyment.

Imagine sitting at a café, watching the world go by, with a drink in hand. You're not chugging it; you're sirotant it. It's perfect for describing enjoying a leisurely beverage, often alcoholic or a special treat like a juice or soda, in a relaxed setting.

Unlike boire, which is neutral and simply means 'to drink,' siroter adds a layer of meaning about the manner and enjoyment of drinking. It's a more specific and descriptive verb that enriches your French vocabulary by conveying a particular mood.

This verb perfectly encapsulates a certain French art de vivre – the appreciation of small pleasures and taking time to enjoy them, even something as simple as a drink. It's about savoring the moment.

💡 * Elle aime siroter son café le matin en lisant le journal. (She likes to sip her coffee in the morning while reading the newspaper.)

• Nous avons siroté des cocktails sur la terrasse en regardant le coucher de soleil. (We sipped cocktails on the terrace watching the sunset.)
• Il sirote tranquillement son thé chaud près de la cheminée. (He's quietly sipping his hot tea by the fireplace.)
• Ne bois pas ton jus d'un coup, sirote-le ! (Don't drink your juice all at once, sip it!)
• Les touristes sirotent des verres de vin sur la place. (The tourists are sipping glasses of wine in the square.)

To 'gulp down' or 'swallow' – avaler

The verb avaler is a common French verb that means "to swallow" or "to gulp down." It's used in a variety of contexts, from consuming food and drink to more figurative expressions.

Its most direct application is to the act of swallowing or gulping down food or beverages. This implies ingesting something, often quickly or without much chewing.

Beyond food, avaler can also refer to swallowing other things, such as pills (avaler un médicament), air (avaler de l'air), or even one's tears (avaler ses larmes).

Avaler is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er. This makes it relatively easy to learn and use in various tenses.

Like many verbs, avaler is part of several idiomatic expressions. For instance, "avaler sa salive" means to swallow one's saliva, often indicating nervousness or anticipation. Another common one is "avaler des couleuvres", which literally means to swallow grass snakes but figuratively means to put up with insults or humiliation.

💡 * Il a avalé son café d'un trait. (He gulped down his coffee in one go.)

• Elle a avalé le médicament sans problème. (She swallowed the medicine without a problem.)
• J'ai dû avaler ma fierté. (I had to swallow my pride.)
• Les enfants avalent leurs bonbons très vite. (The children gobble up their candies very quickly.)
• J'ai avalé de travers. (I swallowed the wrong way / it went down the wrong pipe.)

To 'ingest' (often a large amount) – ingurgiter

The verb ingurgiter means 'to ingest,' primarily used for liquids or food, often implying a significant amount.

It carries the connotation of consuming something rapidly, greedily, or in excessive quantities, distinguishing it from simpler verbs like manger (to eat) or boire (to drink).

While commonly used for literal consumption, ingurgiter is also frequently used figuratively, such as 'ingesting information' (ingurgiter des informations), meaning to absorb or cram a lot of data quickly. It can sometimes imply a forced or unpleasant intake.

💡 * Il a ingurgité une bouteille d'eau en quelques secondes. (He guzzled a bottle of water in a few seconds.)

• Elle a ingurgité toutes les informations pour l'examen. (She crammed all the information for the exam.)
• Le bébé ingurgite son lait très vite. (The baby guzzles his milk very quickly.)
• Nous avons dû ingurgiter un repas rapide avant de partir. (We had to wolf down a quick meal before leaving.)

To 'have a quick drink' or 'a shot' – boire un coup

To 'have a quick drink' or 'a shot' – boire un coup

Boire un coup is a common French idiom that literally translates to "to drink a hit" but means "to have a quick drink" or "a shot."

This expression is highly informal and frequently used in casual settings among friends, family, or colleagues when suggesting a brief drink.

The word coup in this context is very versatile; it doesn't specify the type of drink, implying it could be anything from a coffee to an alcoholic beverage, often a single serving or 'a round'.

The phrase un coup inherently suggests a relatively quick or spontaneous drink, rather than a long, drawn-out session.

Use boire un coup when you want to suggest a casual, often spontaneous, drink with someone without specifying the drink or committing to a long outing.

💡 * On va boire un coup après le travail ? (Shall we grab a quick drink after work?)

• Je passe boire un coup et je repars. (I'm stopping by for a quick drink and then I'm off.)
• Viens, on va boire un coup au café du coin. (Come on, let's have a quick drink at the corner cafe.)
• J'ai eu une longue journée, j'ai bien besoin de boire un coup. (I've had a long day, I really need a drink.)

To 'quench one's thirst' – se désaltérer

To 'quench one's thirst' in French is expressed with the verb se désaltérer. This reflexive verb directly translates to 'to quench oneself' or 'to slake one's thirst,' focusing on satisfying a deep need for hydration.

Se désaltérer is primarily used literally, referring to the act of drinking to relieve a significant thirst. It implies a stronger or more urgent need for hydration than just taking a casual drink.

As a reflexive verb, se désaltérer always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. For example, 'I quench my thirst' becomes Je me désaltère.

While boire (to drink) is general, se désaltérer conveys the specific idea of truly satisfying a strong thirst, often after exertion or in hot weather. You wouldn't typically use it for merely sipping water, but for a more substantial relief.

You'll often encounter phrases like une boisson désaltérante (a thirst-quenching drink) or boire quelque chose pour se désaltérer (to drink something to quench one's thirst), highlighting its descriptive power.

💡 *Après le jogging, il aime se désaltérer avec de l'eau fraîche. (After jogging, he likes to quench his thirst with fresh water.)
*Cette limonade est très désaltérante par cette chaleur. (This lemonade is very thirst-quenching in this heat.)
*Nous nous sommes désaltérés à la fontaine après notre longue marche. (We quenched our thirst at the fountain after our long walk.)
*J'ai besoin de me désaltérer, j'ai très soif ! (I need to quench my thirst, I'm very thirsty!)

To 'drink deeply' or 'guzzle' – s'abreuver

The verb s'abreuver translates to 'to drink deeply,' 'to quench one's thirst thoroughly,' or even 'to guzzle.' It is always used reflexively, meaning the action is performed by the subject upon themselves.

Unlike the general verb boire (to drink), s'abreuver carries a stronger connotation of consuming a significant quantity of liquid, often out of strong thirst, necessity, or with eagerness. It implies a more intense or thorough act of drinking.

You will typically encounter s'abreuver in contexts where someone is intensely hydrating, such as after strenuous activity, or describing animals at a water source. Figuratively, it can mean 'to soak up,' 'to draw inspiration from,' or 'to immerse oneself in' knowledge or culture.

💡 * Après la longue course, il s'est abreuvé d'eau fraîche. (After the long run, he drank deeply of fresh water.)

• Les animaux sauvages viennent s'abreuver à la rivière chaque matin. (The wild animals come to drink deeply at the river every morning.)
• Elle adore s'abreuver de connaissances en lisant des livres d'histoire. (She loves to soak up knowledge by reading history books.)
• Les pompiers s'abreuvaient pour reprendre des forces après l'incendie. (The firefighters were guzzling water to regain their strength after the fire.)

To 'empty one's glass' – vider son verre

To 'empty one's glass' – vider son verre

The phrase vider son verre literally translates to 'to empty one's glass'. It's a straightforward and common expression in French.

This expression is typically used to mean 'to finish one's drink' or 'to drink up'. It implies consuming the entire contents of a glass, often in a social setting or when making a toast.

While it can be a simple statement of action, it often carries the nuance of finishing a drink quickly, or as an invitation to do so, like 'bottoms up!' in English, especially when followed by a refill or another round.

💡 * Videz votre verre, nous partons dans cinq minutes. (Empty your glass, we're leaving in five minutes.)* Après avoir vidé son verre, il a commandé une autre bière. (After emptying his glass, he ordered another beer.)* Ils ont tous vidé leurs verres en l'honneur du marié. (They all emptied their glasses in honor of the groom.)* Je n'arrive pas à vider mon verre, c'est trop fort. (I can't empty my glass, it's too strong.)

To 'down' or 'chug' (informal) – boire cul sec

To express the action of 'to down' or 'to chug' a drink informally in French, the most common phrase is boire cul sec.

This vivid idiom literally means 'to drink dry bottom.' The 'cul' refers to the bottom of the glass, implying it's emptied completely in one swift gulp. It's a colorful way to describe drinking something quickly.

Boire cul sec is an informal expression, typically used in casual settings like parties, toasts, or among friends. It implies a rapid, often forceful, consumption of a drink, whether alcoholic or not.

As boire is the verb 'to drink,' it will conjugate according to the subject and tense, while cul sec remains invariable. For instance, Tu bois cul sec (You chug), or Elle a bu cul sec (She chugged).

💡 * Il a bu son verre d'eau cul sec. (He downed his glass of water.)

• Allez, on boit ce verre de bière cul sec ! (Come on, let's chug this glass of beer!)
• Ils l'ont fait boire le shot cul sec. (They made him chug the shot.)
• Je ne peux pas boire cul sec, c'est trop fort. (I can't chug it, it's too strong.)

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

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

Our list features the most common ways to say “to drink” in French. But the French language is incredibly rich, and you'll find many other expressions, from informal slang to regionalisms, that describe the act of drinking or consuming beverages.

For specific regional variations, you can also do an online search for “comment dire boire en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region, like “comment dire boire en Belgique” or “comment dire boire au Québec.”

You might discover some interesting alternatives for boire on your linguistic journey. As always, make sure to check a word’s definition and observe how it’s used in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

Pay close attention as you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, and listening to music or podcasts. You’re bound to pick up different ways to talk about drinking and beverages.

And if you’re looking for more nuanced ways to talk about drinking, or verbs related to beverages, the WordReference entry for boire is an excellent resource to explore!

I hope this article has quenched your thirst for knowledge! To conclude, here’s a fitting French proverb: Boire comme un trou (literally, 'to drink like a hole,' meaning to drink excessively), which reminds us of the many colorful expressions tied to this simple act.