Whether you're joining a club, joining friends for dinner, or joining two pieces of a puzzle, the English verb 'to join' is incredibly versatile. But how do you say it in French? As you'll discover, there isn't just one single translation. The right word depends entirely on the context! Are you joining a group, connecting two things, or becoming a member? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Let's dive into nine different ways to say 'to join' in French and make sure you're always using the perfect term.

The standard 'to join' a person or a group – Rejoindre

Rejoindre is the most common and versatile French verb for 'to join'. It's the go-to word for expressing the idea of meeting someone or becoming part of a group.

The verb rejoindre has two primary meanings that depend on the context:

To meet up with a person or to reach a physical location.
To become a member of a group, organization, or company.

When you use rejoindre with a person or a place, it means 'to meet up with', 'to catch up with', or 'to get to'. It implies movement towards a destination or person. For example, Je te rejoins au café means 'I'll meet you at the café'.

When used with a group, team, or company, rejoindre means 'to join' in the sense of becoming a part of it. For example, Elle a rejoint notre équipe la semaine dernière translates to 'She joined our team last week'.

A crucial point to remember is that rejoindre is a direct transitive verb. This means it does not require a preposition like à. You join something or someone directly: rejoindre le groupe (to join the group), not rejoindre au groupe.

Rejoindre is an irregular verb, but it follows the same conjugation pattern as other verbs ending in -indre, like peindre (to paint) or craindre (to fear). Its past participle is rejoint.

Rejoindre should not be confused with the reflexive verb se joindre à. While similar, se joindre à is often used to mean 'to join in' on an activity that is already happening. For example, Puis-je me joindre à votre conversation ? ('May I join your conversation?'). Rejoindre is more about the initial act of becoming a member or arriving to meet someone.

💡 * Je te rejoins au cinéma dans dix minutes.

Elle a rejoint l'équipe de marketing le mois dernier.

Après une longue marche, nous avons finalement rejoint le refuge de montagne.

Vous pouvez nous rejoindre plus tard si vous êtes en retard.

Le nouveau directeur rejoindra l'entreprise en janvier.

The reflexive 'to join in' with others – Se joindre à

When you want to express the idea of 'joining in' with a group of people or an activity that's already started, the key French verb is the reflexive se joindre à.

The structure is crucial and always follows the same pattern: a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) + the verb joindre + the preposition à. This à is essential as it links the subject to the group or activity they are joining.

The specific nuance of se joindre à is that it implies entering a group or event that is already formed or in progress. You are adding yourself to an existing dynamic, not arranging to meet someone later.

It's important to distinguish se joindre à from the non-reflexive verb rejoindre. Rejoindre means 'to meet up with' or 'to catch up to'. For example, Je te rejoins au cinéma means 'I'll meet you at the cinema.' In contrast, Je me joins à vous means 'I am joining you (who are already here/together).'

Imagine you see your colleagues at a table in the cafeteria. The perfect way to ask to sit with them would be: 'Puis-je me joindre à vous ?' ('Can I join you?'). This communicates that you wish to become part of their existing group.

💡 * Est-ce que nous pouvons nous joindre à votre groupe pour la visite ? (Can we join your group for the tour?)

Il s'est joint à la conversation sans y être invité. (He joined the conversation without being invited.)

Joignez-vous à nous pour célébrer cette occasion spéciale ! (Join us to celebrate this special occasion!)

Elle hésitait à se joindre à la danse. (She hesitated to join the dance.)

The 'to join' as in becoming a member – Adhérer à

When you want to express the idea of formally joining a group, club, political party, or subscribing to an idea, the specific French verb you need is adhérer à.

A key grammatical rule is that adhérer is always followed by the preposition à. You don't just adhérer something; you adhérer à something. Remember that this preposition contracts with definite articles: adhérer au club (à + le) or adhérer aux principes (à + les).

Unlike the more general verb rejoindre (to join/meet up with), adhérer à implies a formal commitment, agreement, or official membership. It signifies becoming a member of an organization or officially supporting a cause or ideology.

Adhérer is a regular -er verb, but it has a stem change in the present tense. The é changes to è for most subjects (e.g., j'adhère, tu adhères, il adhère, ils adhèrent), but not for nous and vous (nous adhérons, vous adhérez).

A useful related noun to learn is l'adhésion (feminine), which means 'membership' or 'adherence'. For example, you might see frais d'adhésion for 'membership fees'.

💡 * J'ai décidé d'adhérer à un parti politique.

Pour participer, vous devez d'abord adhérer à l'association.

Elle adhère complètement à cette nouvelle philosophie de vie.

Combien de personnes ont adhéré au syndicat cette année ?

The 'to join' by signing up or enrolling – S'inscrire à

When 'to join' refers to the act of formally signing up, registering, or enrolling, the correct French verb is s'inscrire à. It's a reflexive verb, meaning the action is performed by the subject on itself, highlighting the personal act of registration.

The verb is always followed by the preposition à. The structure is [subject] + [reflexive pronoun] + inscrire + à + [activity/organization]. For example, Je m'inscris (I sign up). Remember that à contracts with definite articles: au (à + le), à la, à l', and aux (à + les).

This verb is used for official or administrative processes. You would s'inscrire à un cours (enroll in a course), s'inscrire à la salle de sport (sign up for the gym), s'inscrire à l'université (enroll in university), or s'inscrire sur une liste (put your name on a list).

Unlike other verbs for 'joining', s'inscrire à specifically implies a formal entry process. You first s'inscrire to become a member, and then you can rejoindre (join) the other members for an activity.

💡 * Je vais m'inscrire à un cours de français. (I'm going to enroll in a French class.)

Elle s'est inscrite au club de lecture. (She signed up for the book club.)

N'oubliez pas de vous inscrire avant la date limite ! (Don't forget to register before the deadline!)

Nous nous sommes inscrits à la newsletter du musée. (We signed up for the museum's newsletter.)

The 'to join in' by participating – Participer à

When you want to express the idea of joining in by taking an active role, the French verb participer is the perfect fit. It directly translates to 'to participate' and emphasizes active involvement.

The most important rule for participer is that it is always followed by the preposition à (in, at, to). You participate in something: participer à quelque chose. This is a non-negotiable rule.

Remember that the preposition à must contract with the definite articles le and les. So, you will use participer au for masculine singular nouns and participer aux for plural nouns.

Participer à is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It's appropriate for everything from a business meeting (participer à une réunion) to a game (participer à un jeu). The key is that it always implies contribution and engagement, not just physical presence.

💡 * Veux-tu participer à notre projet ? (Do you want to participate in our project?)

Il a refusé de participer à la discussion. (He refused to take part in the discussion.)

Nous allons participer au marathon cette année. (We are going to participate in the marathon this year.)

Tous les employés sont invités à participer aux activités de l'entreprise. (All employees are invited to participate in the company's activities.)

The 'to join' a team or company – Intégrer

When talking about joining a company, a team, or a formal group in a professional context, the most precise French verb is intégrer. While a direct translation might suggest rejoindre, intégrer carries the specific meaning of becoming an integral part of the group, fitting into its structure and culture.

The verb intégrer is closely linked to the noun l'intégration, which means 'onboarding' or 'integration'. Saying J'intègre une nouvelle entreprise implies more than just the first day; it refers to the entire process of becoming a functional member of the team. It emphasizes assimilation rather than just arrival.

Intégrer is a regular -er verb and is used transitively, meaning it acts directly on the object without a preposition. You intégrer something. For example: Elle intègre l'équipe projet (She is joining the project team), not Elle intègre à l'équipe.

While rejoindre can also mean 'to join', it's more general. You can rejoindre des amis pour le dîner (join friends for dinner). Intégrer is reserved for more formal structures like a company, a school, or a club. Using intégrer in a business context sounds more professional and specific.

💡 * Après son diplôme, elle a intégré une grande entreprise à Paris.

Le nouveau joueur s'intègre bien dans l'équipe.

Il est difficile d'intégrer ce groupe exclusif.

Quand est-ce que tu vas intégrer ton nouveau poste ?

The literal 'to become a member of' – Devenir membre de

The most direct and literal way to say 'to become a member of' in French is devenir membre de. This phrase is used when you are formally joining a group, club, or organization, emphasizing the act of acquiring membership.

The structure is straightforward: the verb devenir (to become) is followed by membre de (member of) and then the specific group. Remember that the preposition de will contract with the definite articles le and les to become du and des. For example, you would say devenir membre du club (to become a member of the club).

This expression carries a more formal tone. It's best used for official organizations like a gym, an association, a political party, or a professional society, where there is a clear process of becoming a member.

💡 * Il a décidé de devenir membre du club de gym. (He decided to become a member of the gym.)

Elle est fière d'être devenue membre de cette organisation caritative. (She is proud to have become a member of this charitable organization.)

Pour devenir membre de l'équipe, vous devez remplir ce formulaire. (To become a member of the team, you must fill out this form.)

The 'to join' a cause or political party – Rallier or Se rallier à

When you want to talk about joining a cause, a political party, or an opinion, the French verb rallier and its pronominal form se rallier à are the perfect choices. They convey the idea of rallying to a banner, uniting for a common purpose, or shifting one's allegiance.

Used directly, rallier means 'to rally' or 'to win over' someone or a group to your side. The subject of the verb is the one doing the convincing. For example, Le leader a rallié ses partisans (The leader rallied his supporters).

The more common form you'll encounter for 'to join' in this context is se rallier à. This means 'to join,' 'to rally to,' or 'to come over to' a cause, party, or idea. Here, the subject is the one making the decision to join.

The nuance is important: rallier is about gathering support, while se rallier à is about giving support. It often implies a change of mind or aligning with a new group after consideration or persuasion.

💡 * Le candidat espère rallier les électeurs centristes. (The candidate hopes to win over the centrist voters.)

Après le débat, il s'est rallié à notre opinion. (After the debate, he came around to our opinion.)

Plusieurs petits partis se sont ralliés à la coalition majoritaire. (Several small parties have joined the majority coalition.)

Elle a refusé de se rallier à une cause qu'elle ne soutenait pas. (She refused to join a cause she did not support.)

The 'to join' in a partnership or association – S'associer à

When 'to join' means to form a partnership, become a business partner, or formally associate with a group, the French reflexive verb s'associer à is the most precise term. It translates to 'to associate oneself with' or 'to partner with', implying a significant, often professional or legal, connection.

As a reflexive verb, s'associer à requires a reflexive pronoun (me, t', s', nous, vous, s') that agrees with the subject. The verb is always followed by the preposition à (or au, aux) to introduce the person, company, or entity being joined. For example: Je m'associe à son projet. (I am joining his project.)

This verb is typically used in formal, business, or legal contexts. You would use it to describe co-founding a company, joining a professional association, or formally aligning with a cause. It signifies a deeper level of commitment and collaboration than simply becoming a member of a club.

💡 * L'entreprise a décidé de s'associer à une organisation locale. (The company decided to partner with a local organization.)

Elle s'est associée à son frère pour ouvrir un restaurant. (She went into partnership with her brother to open a restaurant.)

Nous nous associons à leur cause pour défendre l'environnement. (We are joining their cause to defend the environment.)

Ils se sont associés pour créer une start-up innovante. (They partnered up to create an innovative startup.)

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

Our guide has covered the most common and versatile French verbs for 'to join,' such as rejoindre and se joindre à. But the French language is full of nuances, and you'll find many other specific verbs for different situations, from professional contexts to informal slang.

You can uncover more specialized verbs by searching online for specific scenarios. Try looking up phrases like "comment dire 'join the army' en français" or "verbe pour 'join a cause' en français" to see how the vocabulary changes.

Pay close attention to the prepositions that follow these verbs. For instance, you rejoindre un groupe (join a group) but you adhérer à un parti (join a party). Getting the prepositions right is key to sounding natural.

As you immerse yourself in French media, listen for how native speakers talk about coming together. Whether it's in news reports about protests or in movies about characters starting a new job, you'll hear these verbs used in their natural habitat.

If you want to explore more synonyms or see detailed examples, the online dictionary Linguee is a fantastic tool. It shows you bilingual texts, so you can see how verbs for 'to join' are translated in real-world documents.

Hopefully, you now feel more confident about how to say 'to join' in French. Let's end with a famous proverb that perfectly captures the power of joining together: Seul on va plus vite, ensemble on va plus loin. (Alone, one goes faster; together, one goes further.)

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