You might already know that "promettre" is the most common way to say "to promise" in French. But just like in English, there are many other nuanced ways to express commitment, pledges, and vows. Learning these variations will enrich your French vocabulary and help you convey precise meanings in different situations. Whether you're making a solemn vow or a casual agreement, knowing the right word is key. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to promise" in French!

The standard 'to promise' – promettre

Promettre is the most common and standard verb for 'to promise' in French. It is a versatile verb used in various contexts, from casual assurances to serious commitments.

As an irregular -re verb, promettre follows a similar conjugation pattern to mettre (to put/place), making it easier to learn if you already know mettre. Its conjugation is not entirely regular, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with its forms.

Like in English, promettre can take a direct object (what is promised) and an indirect object (to whom it is promised). For example, Je te promets une surprise (I promise you a surprise) shows both types of objects.

When promising to do something, promettre is followed by the preposition de and then an infinitive verb. For instance, Il a promis de venir (He promised to come) or Nous promettons de faire de notre mieux (We promise to do our best).

You'll often hear phrases like Je te promets (I promise you) or the informal Promis ! (Promised!) in everyday conversation. These are quick ways to give an assurance.

In the passé composé, promettre uses the auxiliary verb avoir and its past participle is promis. Example: Elle a promis de m'aider (She promised to help me). The participle does not agree with the subject when avoir is used, unless there's a preceding direct object.

Promettre can be used in both formal and informal contexts without issue. The seriousness of the promise is usually conveyed by the tone of voice and the context of the conversation, rather than the verb itself.

💡 *Je te promets que je serai là à l'heure. (I promise you I'll be there on time.)
*Elle a promis de m'appeler dès qu'elle arrivera. (She promised to call me as soon as she arrives.)
*Nous leur avons promis notre aide pour le déménagement. (We promised them our help for the move.)
*Promis, je ne le ferai plus jamais. (Promised, I will never do it again.)
*Il promet toujours monts et merveilles mais ne tient jamais ses engagements. (He always promises wonders/the moon but never keeps his commitments.)

To 'swear' or 'vow' (often a strong promise) – jurer

The verb jurer is a versatile French verb that primarily means “to swear” or “to vow.” It conveys the idea of making a solemn declaration or a strong promise, often with a sense of commitment or truthfulness.

One of its most common uses is to express making a solemn promise or an oath. This can be in a formal setting, like swearing in court, or a very serious personal commitment. Think of it as pledging your word.

You can also use jurer to vow that something is true, often to convince someone. For example, Je te jure que c'est vrai means 'I swear to you that it's true,' emphasizing sincerity.

Interestingly, jurer can also mean to swear in the sense of using expletives or curse words. However, this usage often implies the act of uttering curses, rather than the curses themselves. For instance, jurer des gros mots means 'to swear/utter bad words.'

Jurer is a regular -er verb and conjugates straightforwardly. It is frequently used with prepositions like de (jurer de faire quelque chose - 'to swear to do something') or à (as in jurer à quelqu'un - 'to swear to someone').

💡 * Je te jure que je ne le ferai plus. (I swear to you I won't do it again.)

Il a juré fidélité à son pays. (He swore allegiance to his country.)

Les témoins ont juré de dire la vérité. (The witnesses swore to tell the truth.)

Elle jure qu'elle n'a rien vu. (She swears she didn't see anything.)

Ne jure pas devant les enfants! (Don't swear in front of the children!)

To 'commit' or 'pledge' – s'engager

The French verb s'engager is a versatile and important reflexive verb that primarily translates to "to commit," "to pledge," or "to get involved."

As a reflexive verb, s'engager always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb, indicating that the action is performed by the subject upon themselves or that the subject is actively involving themselves.

One of its most common uses is to express a general commitment to a cause, a project, an idea, or even a person. It implies dedication and active participation. For example, s'engager pour une cause means "to commit to a cause."

In a romantic context, s'engager is used to mean "to get engaged" (to be married). This is a significant commitment, often followed by marriage. For instance, Ils vont s'engager means "They are going to get engaged."

The verb also finds application in professional or military settings, where it can mean "to enlist" (in the army) or "to undertake" a specific task or responsibility. For example, s'engager dans l'armée means "to enlist in the army."

Like all reflexive verbs in French, s'engager uses the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., passé composé, plus-que-parfait), and the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.

💡 * Elle s'est engagée dans une association caritative. (She committed herself to a charity.)

Ils vont s'engager l'année prochaine. (They are going to get engaged next year.)

Il s'est engagé dans l'armée à vingt ans. (He enlisted in the army at twenty.)

Nous nous engageons à respecter nos promesses. (We pledge to keep our promises.)

Je m'engage à finir ce travail avant vendredi. (I commit to finishing this work before Friday.)

To 'make a promise' – faire une promesse

To express 'to make a promise' in French, you use the common phrase faire une promesse.

This phrase literally translates to 'to make a promise,' using the versatile verb faire (to do, to make) combined with the feminine noun une promesse (a promise).

Unlike some English expressions, faire une promesse is a very direct and widely used way to convey the act of promising something, whether serious or informal.

💡 *Je te fais une promesse. (I'm making you a promise.)
*Il a fait une promesse à ses parents. (He made a promise to his parents.)
*Nous devons faire des promesses que nous pouvons tenir. (We must make promises we can keep.)
*Elle n'aime pas faire de fausses promesses. (She doesn't like to make false promises.)

To 'give one's word' – donner sa parole

To 'give one's word' – donner sa parole

The French expression donner sa parole literally translates to “to give one’s word.” It signifies making a solemn promise or a firm commitment.

This phrase implies a strong personal guarantee, going beyond a simple 'yes.' When you donner sa parole, you are staking your honor and credibility on fulfilling what you’ve pledged.

You’ll typically hear donner sa parole used in more formal or serious contexts where a verbal agreement holds significant weight, such as business dealings, personal vows, or legal assurances.

The verb donner (to give) is conjugated according to the subject, while sa parole (one’s word) changes to ma parole, ta parole, notre parole, etc., to match the person making the promise.

In French culture, donner sa parole carries a strong sense of integrity and trustworthiness. Breaking one’s word is considered a serious breach of trust, impacting one's reputation.

💡 * Je vous donne ma parole que je serai là à l'heure. (I give you my word that I will be there on time.)

Il a donné sa parole qu'il rembourserait la dette. (He gave his word that he would repay the debt.)

Ne donnez jamais votre parole à la légère. (Never give your word lightly.)

Elle a donné sa parole de garder le secret. (She gave her word to keep the secret.)

To 'guarantee' or 'assure' – garantir

The French verb garantir is a versatile and important verb that translates primarily to 'to guarantee' or 'to assure' in English. Understanding its nuances is key to expressing certainty and responsibility in French.

One of the main uses of garantir is to signify a guarantee, often in a commercial or legal sense, like a product warranty. It can also mean to ensure or secure a certain outcome or right.

Beyond warranties, garantir is used to assure someone of something, to vouch for a person's reliability, or to promise that something will happen. It conveys a strong sense of certainty and commitment from the speaker.

When using garantir, you'll often see it followed by a direct object, or by que + a subordinate clause (e.g., je vous garantis que... - I assure you that...). It can also take an indirect object when assuring someone of something (e.g., garantir quelque chose à quelqu'un).

While garantir can mean 'to assure,' it often carries a stronger sense of formal commitment, responsibility, or backing. Assurer (to assure) is more general and can simply mean to inform someone with certainty, or to make sure something happens, without the same level of formal pledge.

💡 *Le fabricant garantit ce produit pendant deux ans. (The manufacturer guarantees this product for two years.)
*Je te garantis que tout ira bien. (I assure you that everything will be fine.)
*Son honnêteté est garantie par sa réputation. (His honesty is vouched for by his reputation.)
*Nous garantissons la qualité de nos services. (We guarantee the quality of our services.)
*La loi garantit la liberté d'expression. (The law guarantees freedom of speech.)

To 'affirm' or 'assure' (can imply a promise) – assurer

The French verb assurer translates primarily to 'to assure' or 'to affirm'.

Beyond simple affirmation, assurer often implies 'to promise' or 'to guarantee' that something will happen or be done, adding a layer of commitment.

When used reflexively as s'assurer, it means 'to make sure' or 'to ensure' something for oneself or others.

💡 * Je vous assure que ce n'est pas un problème. (I assure you that it's not a problem.)

Il a assuré qu'il serait là à l'heure. (He affirmed/promised that he would be there on time.)

Nous devons assurer le bon fonctionnement du système. (We must ensure the proper functioning of the system.)

Elle s'est assurée que toutes les portes étaient fermées. (She made sure all the doors were closed.)

To 'oblige oneself' or 'commit to' – s'obliger à

The French verb s'obliger à translates to 'to oblige oneself to' or 'to commit to.' It's a key expression for conveying a personal commitment or obligation.

As a reflexive verb, s'obliger means the subject is both performing and receiving the action. The preposition à is crucial here, indicating that the obligation or commitment is to something or to do something.

While it implies a sense of duty, s'obliger à often carries a connotation of a self-imposed commitment rather than an external one. It's about making a personal decision to undertake an action or adhere to a principle.

This verb is regularly conjugated like other -er verbs, but remember to include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se). For instance, je m'oblige à (I oblige myself to) or nous nous obligeons à (we commit ourselves to).

💡 * Je m'oblige à étudier tous les jours. (I oblige myself to study every day.)

Elle s'est obligée à finir le projet avant la date limite. (She committed herself to finishing the project before the deadline.)

Nous nous obligeons à respecter nos engagements. (We commit ourselves to respecting our commitments.)

Il ne s'oblige jamais à faire quoi que ce soit qu'il n'aime pas. (He never obliges himself to do anything he doesn't like.)

To 'undertake a commitment' – prendre l'engagement de

The French phrase to express 'to undertake a commitment' or 'to make a commitment' is prendre l'engagement de. This literal translation combines prendre (to take), l'engagement (the commitment/engagement), and de (of/to), indicating the action of taking on a responsibility or pledge.

This expression is often used in more formal contexts or when emphasizing a deliberate, significant pledge. It implies a strong resolve and a formal agreement, whether personal, professional, or legal. It's stronger than simply saying s'engager (to commit oneself), which can be more general.

The verb prendre must be conjugated according to the subject. The structure then follows as [conjugated prendre] l'engagement de [infinitive verb]. For example, Je prends l'engagement de vous aider (I undertake the commitment to help you).

You'll frequently encounter prendre l'engagement de in legal documents, formal declarations, or when discussing significant life decisions. It highlights the serious nature of the promise being made, such as committing to a project, a cause, or a course of action.

💡 *Le gouvernement a pris l'engagement de réduire les émissions de carbone. (The government has undertaken a commitment to reduce carbon emissions.)
*Elle a pris l'engagement de terminer le projet avant la date limite. (She made a commitment to finish the project before the deadline.)
*Nous prenons l'engagement de vous fournir un service de qualité. (We commit ourselves to providing you with quality service.)
*Chaque membre doit prendre l'engagement de respecter les règles. (Each member must undertake the commitment to respect the rules.)
*Il prend l'engagement de se marier l'année prochaine. (He is committing to getting married next year.)

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

Our exploration has focused on the most common ways to express 'to promise' in French, primarily using promettre. However, the French language, like any, offers a nuanced spectrum of verbs and expressions that convey similar ideas, some with slightly different connotations or in specific contexts.

To delve deeper, you might explore phrases like 'prendre un engagement' (to make a commitment) or 'jurer' (to swear, often used in the sense of making a solemn promise). You can also search for 'synonymes de promettre' online to find more formal or archaic alternatives.

When encountering new verbs or expressions related to promising, always verify their exact meaning and typical usage. Context is key: does the situation call for a simple promise, a solemn vow, or a formal commitment? Pay attention to prepositions and direct/indirect objects as well.

As you continue to immerse yourself in French media — books, films, podcasts — listen for how native speakers express promises. You'll naturally pick up on the subtleties and the most appropriate phrases for different situations.

For a comprehensive list of synonyms and related expressions, the Trésor de la langue française informatisé (TLFi) or WordReference.com can be invaluable resources. Look up 'promettre' and explore the suggested alternatives and example sentences.

I hope this article has clarified the nuances of 'to promise' in French. Remember, a promise is a powerful thing, linguistically and personally. As Jean-Jacques Rousseau wisely said: La promesse est une dette. (A promise is a debt.)

9 ways to say "to promise" in French