The French verb frapper is the most direct translation for 'to hit,' but the French language, in its richness, offers a whole arsenal of words to express this action. Whether you're talking about a gentle tap, a powerful punch, or a metaphorical blow, there's a specific verb for almost every situation. Expanding your vocabulary with these alternatives will not only make your French sound more natural and precise but also give you a deeper understanding of the language's nuances. Let's dive into nine different ways to say 'to hit' in French and learn when to use each one!

The standard 'to hit' – frapper

Frapper is the most common and versatile French verb for 'to hit' or 'to strike'. It's the go-to word for the general action of making forceful contact.

In its most literal sense, frapper means to physically strike someone or something. This can be with a hand, a fist, or an object. The context usually involves some form of impact or aggression.

Example: Le boxeur frappe fort. (The boxer hits hard.)

One of the most frequent and important uses of frapper is not violent at all. It is the standard verb for 'to knock'. The phrase frapper à la porte means 'to knock on the door'. This is a fundamental expression for everyday life.

Similar to 'to be struck by' in English, frapper is also used figuratively to describe being affected by an idea, an emotion, or a realization. It conveys a sense of sudden impact on the mind or feelings.

Example: J'ai été frappé par sa gentillesse. (I was struck by his kindness.)

For learners, frapper is a regular -er verb, which means it follows the most common conjugation pattern in French. For example, in the present tense: je frappe, tu frappes, il/elle frappe, nous frappons, vous frappez, ils/elles frappent.

Discerning the meaning of frapper is entirely dependent on context. If you hear someone outside your house, they are likely en train de frapper à la porte (knocking on the door). In a story about a fight, it will almost certainly mean 'to hit'.

💡 * Qui a frappé à la porte ? (Who knocked on the door?)

Il ne faut jamais frapper un animal. (You must never hit an animal.)

Une idée soudaine m'a frappé. (A sudden idea struck me.)

Le son de la cloche frappa l'air. (The sound of the bell struck the air.)

Elle a été frappée par la beauté du paysage. (She was struck by the beauty of the landscape.)

The common 'to hit' or 'to tap' – taper

One of the most common and versatile verbs in everyday French is taper. Its meaning can shift dramatically based on context, primarily translating to either 'to hit' or 'to tap/type', which can be confusing for learners.

The most direct translation of taper is 'to hit' or 'to strike'. This refers to a physical impact. For example, you can taper du poing sur la table (to hit the table with your fist) in anger or taper dans un ballon (to kick a ball). The context usually involves a physical action with some force.

In our digital age, the most frequent use of taper is 'to type'. When you're writing an email or a message, you are en train de taper sur ton clavier (typing on your keyboard). It also means 'to tap' in the sense of entering information, like taper son code (to tap in one's code).

How do you tell the difference? The object of the verb is your clue. If the object is a person, an object being struck, or a body part (like le poing), it likely means 'to hit'. If the object is a report, a message, a password, or it involves a keyboard or screen, it means 'to type' or 'tap'.

Be aware of the reflexive form, se taper quelque chose. This is a very informal, slang expression meaning 'to be stuck with something' or 'to have to deal with an unpleasant task'. For instance, Je vais devoir me taper tout le nettoyage means 'I'm going to have to deal with all the cleaning'.

💡 * Il a tapé son mot de passe pour déverrouiller l'ordinateur. (He typed his password to unlock the computer.)

Attention, ne tape pas la porte si fort ! (Careful, don't slam the door so hard!)

Je passe des heures à taper des e-mails chaque jour. (I spend hours typing emails every day.)

Le boxeur a tapé fort dans le sac de frappe. (The boxer hit the punching bag hard.)

On doit se taper une réunion de trois heures cet après-midi. (We have to sit through a three-hour meeting this afternoon.)

The 'to bang' or 'to knock' – cogner

A versatile and common verb in French is cogner, which generally translates to 'to bang' or 'to knock'.

The most straightforward use of cogner is for the action of knocking or banging on a surface. For instance, you would use it to describe knocking on a door: cogner à la porte.

Beyond surfaces, cogner is frequently used when you accidentally hit or bump a part of your body against something. This often uses the reflexive form, se cogner. For example, Je me suis cogné la tête means 'I banged my head'.

Figuratively, you can also use cogner to describe the sun beating down intensely. You might hear the phrase Le soleil cogne, meaning 'The sun is beating down'.

In colloquial French, cogner can also mean 'to hit' or 'to punch' someone. For example, Il a menacé de le cogner means 'He threatened to hit him'.

Good news for learners: cogner is a regular -er verb, so its conjugation follows the standard, predictable pattern of verbs like parler (to speak).

💡 * Quelqu'un cogne à la porte, va ouvrir s'il te plaît.

Fais attention, tu vas te cogner la tête contre l'étagère.

Le soleil cogne fort cet après-midi, n'oublie pas ta casquette.

Il a cogné son poing sur la table pour montrer sa colère.

The 'to beat' – battre

The French verb battre directly translates to 'to beat' in English. It is a highly versatile and common verb used in a wide range of contexts, from physical actions to figurative concepts like defeating an opponent or a heart beating.

In its most literal sense, battre describes the physical act of striking or hitting. This can be used for actions like beating a drum (battre le tambour), whipping eggs (battre les œufs), or clapping your hands (battre des mains).

Figuratively, battre is very common in the context of competition, where it means 'to defeat' or 'to win against'. You can battre an opponent in a game, a team in a match, or an adversary in an argument.

The verb extends to other important expressions. For instance, your heart 'beats' (le cœur bat), and an athlete can 'break' a record (battre un record). This demonstrates its flexibility in both concrete and abstract situations.

💡 * Il faut bien battre les blancs d'œufs en neige. (You must beat the egg whites until stiff.)

Notre équipe a battu les champions en titre. (Our team beat the defending champions.)

Mon cœur battait la chamade avant mon discours. (My heart was pounding before my speech.)

Elle a battu son propre record au 100 mètres. (She broke her own record in the 100 meters.)

1. The versatile 'to give a blow' – donner un coup

Literally, donner un coup translates to 'to give a blow' or 'to hit.' While it can describe a physical strike, its true utility in French lies in its role as a core component of numerous idiomatic expressions.

The meaning of donner un coup is almost entirely determined by the noun that follows it, usually connected by de. In these phrases, coup signifies a single, swift, or sudden action rather than a literal 'hit'.

One of the most common variations is donner un coup de main, which means 'to lend a hand' or 'to help.' The 'blow' here is a metaphor for a quick burst of assistance.

Another essential expression is donner un coup de fil, which means 'to make a phone call.' The fil (thread, wire) harks back to old telephone lines, and the coup represents the brief action of making the call.

To ask someone to 'have a look' or 'glance at' something, you use donner un coup d'œil. It implies a quick, brief look.

Think of donner un coup de... as a versatile formula. By changing the noun at the end, you can describe a wide range of quick actions, from cleaning (donner un coup de balai - to give a sweep) to accelerating (donner un coup d'accélérateur - to step on the gas).

💡 * Peux-tu me donner un coup de main avec mes devoirs ? (Can you give me a hand with my homework?)

Je te donne un coup de fil dès que j'arrive. (I'll give you a call as soon as I arrive.)

J'ai donné un coup d'œil au rapport, il semble correct. (I had a look at the report, it seems correct.)

Il a donné un coup de pied dans le ballon. (He kicked the ball.)

The 'to collide with' or 'to bump into' – heurter

The French verb heurter primarily means "to hit," "to collide with," or "to bump into." It describes a direct physical impact between two objects or people.

Heurter is used for both serious and minor impacts. For example, you would use it to describe a major accident, like Le navire a heurté un iceberg (The ship hit an iceberg), as well as a simple, everyday action, like J'ai heurté la table dans le noir (I bumped into the table in the dark).

Crucially, heurter also has a common figurative meaning: "to offend," "to shock," or "to hurt someone's feelings." In this context, it refers to an emotional or psychological impact rather than a physical one. For instance, Ses propos ont heurté beaucoup de gens means "His remarks offended many people."

To understand heurter, you must rely on the context. If the sentence discusses physical objects, it likely means a collision. If it refers to words, ideas, beliefs (croyances), or feelings (sensibilités), it signifies causing offense. This distinction is vital for both understanding and speaking French accurately.

💡 * La voiture folle a heurté plusieurs piétons. (The out-of-control car hit several pedestrians.)

Excusez-moi, je ne voulais pas vous heurter dans la foule. (Excuse me, I didn't mean to bump into you in the crowd.)

Cette image peut heurter la sensibilité des plus jeunes. (This image may shock the sensibilities of younger people.)

Sa franchise brutale m'a profondément heurté. (His brutal honesty deeply hurt me.)

The slang for 'to beat up' – tabasser

The verb tabasser is a widely used French slang term meaning 'to beat up,' 'to thrash,' or 'to rough someone up.' It's an informal and strong word that implies a more severe and violent physical confrontation than the more neutral verbs battre (to beat) or frapper (to hit).

Even though it's slang, tabasser is a regular -er verb, making it easy to conjugate. It follows the same pattern as verbs like parler. For example, in the passé composé, you would say j'ai tabassé, and in the future, je tabasserai.

The reflexive form, se tabasser, means 'to beat each other up' or 'to get into a brawl.' This is used when describing a mutual fight between two or more people. For example, Ils se sont tabassés means 'They beat each other up.'

💡 * Il s'est fait tabasser en sortant du bar. (He got beaten up leaving the bar.)

Les deux supporters ont commencé à se tabasser après le match. (The two fans started to beat each other up after the game.)

Elle a menacé de le tabasser s'il continuait à l'embêter. (She threatened to beat him up if he kept bothering her.)

The forceful 'to crash into' – percuter

The French verb percuter translates to 'to hit,' 'to strike,' or 'to crash into.' It describes a direct and forceful impact, often with significant consequences. Think of it as a more intense version of 'frapper' (to hit).

You'll most often encounter percuter in the context of accidents, particularly with vehicles. It's the go-to verb for describing a car crashing into another object, whether it's another vehicle, a wall, or a pedestrian.

In informal, spoken French, percuter has a very common figurative meaning: 'to finally understand,' 'to get it,' or 'to have something click.' It conveys the idea of a sudden realization hitting you, much like a physical impact.

Percuter is a regular -er verb, so its conjugation is straightforward. In the passé composé, it uses the auxiliary verb avoir. For example, 'La voiture a percuté le mur' (The car crashed into the wall).

💡 * Le camion a percuté la barrière de sécurité.

Attention ! Tu vas percuter le piéton !

Il lui a fallu dix minutes pour percuter la blague. (It took him ten minutes to get the joke.)

Soudain, j'ai percuté : j'avais oublié mes clés à la maison. (Suddenly, it hit me: I had forgotten my keys at home.)

1. The Verb 'to slap': Gifler

The standard and most direct verb for 'to slap' in French is gifler. It specifically refers to the act of striking someone, typically on the face, with an open hand. It's a regular '-er' verb, making its conjugation predictable.

Gifler often carries a strong, somewhat formal or even dramatic connotation. While it's the correct term, it feels more at home in literature or describing a significant, emotionally charged event rather than a casual tap. For instance, you would use it to describe a slap born of anger or insult.

The noun for 'a slap' is une gifle. A common way to express the action is by using the phrase donner une gifle (to give a slap). This construction is frequently used in everyday conversation and is just as important to know as the verb gifler itself.

💡 * Furieux, il a giflé son adversaire. (Furious, he slapped his opponent.)

Elle lui a donné une gifle après son commentaire insultant. (She gave him a slap after his insulting comment.)

Le professeur a menacé de gifler l'élève indiscipliné. (The teacher threatened to slap the unruly student.)

Recevoir une gifle en public est très humiliant. (Receiving a slap in public is very humiliating.)

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

Our guide has covered the most common verbs for 'to hit' in French, from the all-purpose frapper to more specific terms. But the French language, like any other, is full of slang, regionalisms, and figurative expressions that you'll discover over time.

The most important takeaway is context. Hitting a ball (frapper un ballon), a car hitting a tree (percuter un arbre), or an idea hitting you (venir à l'esprit) all require different verbs. Always ask yourself what is hitting what before choosing a word.

Be careful with stronger verbs like tabasser or cogner, which imply significant violence. Using them incorrectly can be jarring or unintentionally aggressive. When in doubt, a more neutral verb is always a safer choice.

The best way to learn these nuances is through immersion. Pay attention while watching French movies or reading the news—you'll see how these verbs are used naturally and gain a better feel for their subtle differences.

If you need to find the perfect verb for a specific situation, online dictionaries like WordReference or Larousse are invaluable. They often provide example sentences that can guide you to the right choice.

I hope this article has been helpful! We'll end with a French proverb that speaks to a different kind of impact: "Les paroles s'envolent, les écrits restent." (Words fly away, writings remain.) It’s a good reminder that the most powerful 'hits' are often not physical at all.

'9 ways to say "to hit" in French'