The most common way to say 'to push' in French is pousser. But is that the only option? Absolutely not! Just like in English, the simple act of 'pushing' can mean many different things, from physically moving an object to encouraging someone to act.

As you advance in your French studies, you'll discover that using the right verb can make your language more precise, colorful, and natural. Knowing when to use a word other than pousser will definitely help you sound more like a native speaker.

Ready to push your vocabulary to the next level? Let’s explore 9 different ways to say 'to push' in French!

1. The standard 'to push' – Pousser

The most common and direct way to say 'to push' in French is with the verb pousser.

At its core, pousser describes the physical act of applying force to an object to move it away from you. It's the direct equivalent of the English 'to push' in most contexts, like pushing a door, a car, or a shopping cart.

Good news for learners: pousser is a regular -er verb. This means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, making it one of the easier verbs to master in various tenses.

Beyond physical action, pousser is very commonly used to mean 'to grow' or 'to sprout'. This applies to plants, hair, nails, and even a child having a growth spurt. Context makes the meaning clear.

Pousser can also be used figuratively to mean 'to push' someone into doing something, in the sense of 'to urge,' 'to drive,' or 'to incite.' It's often followed by the preposition à and an infinitive verb (e.g., pousser quelqu'un à faire quelque chose).

A famous French idiom uses this verb: Il ne faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties, which literally means 'You shouldn't push grandma into the nettles.' It's a colorful way of saying 'Don't exaggerate' or 'Don't push your luck.'

💡 * Pour entrer, il faut pousser la porte.

• Les carottes poussent bien dans mon jardin.
• Sa passion pour la musique l'a poussé à devenir chanteur.
• Arrête de me pousser, s'il te plaît !
• Mon fils a beaucoup poussé pendant les vacances d'été.

The 'to press' (a button) – Appuyer

When you need to talk about the physical action of pressing something, like a button or a switch, the go-to verb in French is appuyer. It's a fundamental verb for interacting with technology and everyday objects.

A crucial rule to remember is that appuyer is almost always followed by the preposition sur. You don't just press the button (appuyer le bouton), you press on the button (appuyer sur le bouton). This is a common point of confusion for English speakers.

You'll use appuyer sur in many situations, such as pressing a doorbell (appuyer sur la sonnette), a key on a keyboard (appuyer sur une touche), or the accelerator in a car (appuyer sur l'accélérateur).

Appuyer is a regular -er verb, but it's also a stem-changing verb. The 'y' changes to an 'i' before a silent 'e'. For example: j'appuie (I press), but nous appuyons (we press). This is a typical pattern for verbs ending in -uyer.

Beyond the literal meaning, appuyer can also mean 'to support,' 'to back,' or 'to emphasize.' In this sense, it means to lend weight or pressure to an argument, a decision, or a candidate. For instance, appuyer une demande means 'to support an application.'

💡 * Pour allumer l'ordinateur, il faut appuyer sur ce bouton.

• N'appuie pas trop fort sur le crayon, tu vas le casser.
• Le directeur a décidé d'appuyer sa proposition lors de la réunion.
• J'ai appuyé sur la sonnette mais personne n'a répondu.

The 'to push back' or 'repel' – Repousser

The French verb repousser is a versatile word that primarily translates to 'to push back,' 'to repel,' or 'to reject.' It covers both literal and figurative actions.

In a physical sense, repousser means to push something away. For example, you might repousser un meuble (push back a piece of furniture) or see plants that repoussent (grow back) after being cut.

Figuratively, it's widely used to mean 'to repel' or 'reject.' This can apply to abstract concepts, like repousser une idée (to reject an idea), or actions, such as repousser une attaque (to repel an attack).

One of the most common uses of repousser in everyday language is to mean 'to postpone' or 'to push back' a date or event. You can repousser une réunion (postpone a meeting) or repousser un voyage (push back a trip).

As a regular -er verb, repousser is conjugated just like parler. For example, in the present tense: je repousse, tu repousses, il/elle/on repousse, etc. This makes it relatively easy to use once you know the basic pattern.

💡 * L'armée a repoussé l'invasion. (The army repelled the invasion.)

• J'ai dû repousser mon rendez-vous chez le dentiste. (I had to postpone my dentist appointment.)
• Son attitude arrogante me repousse. (His arrogant attitude repels me.)
• Il a repoussé la table contre le mur. (He pushed the table back against the wall.)

The 'to shove' or 'jostle' – Bousculer

The verb bousculer primarily means 'to shove,' 'to push,' or 'to jostle.' It describes a physical action, often one that happens in a crowded space or in a hurry, implying a degree of force or carelessness.

You would use bousculer when someone pushes past you on a busy street, or when people jostle for a better position in a queue. It captures the sense of being physically displaced by someone else's movement.

Figuratively, bousculer is used to mean 'to shake up,' 'to disrupt,' or 'to throw into disarray.' It can refer to disrupting plans, habits, or even an entire industry. For example, a new idea can bousculer les traditions (shake up traditions).

As a regular -er verb, bousculer is conjugated just like common verbs such as parler. In the present tense, it follows the pattern: je bouscule, tu bouscules, il/elle/on bouscule, etc.

💡 * Attention à ne pas me bousculer, je porte des verres. (Be careful not to shove me, I'm carrying glasses.)

• Les manifestants ont bousculé les barrières de sécurité. (The protesters pushed against the security barriers.)
• Son arrivée inattendue a bousculé tout notre programme. (His unexpected arrival threw our whole schedule into disarray.)
• Cette innovation va bousculer le marché de la téléphonie. (This innovation is going to shake up the telephone market.)

The 'to urge' or 'hurry' someone – Presser

The verb presser literally means 'to press' or 'to squeeze.' For instance, you would use it to talk about pressing a button (presser un bouton) or squeezing a fruit for juice (presser un citron).

In a figurative sense, presser quelqu'un means 'to urge someone,' 'to hurry someone along,' or 'to put pressure on someone.' It conveys a sense of urgency imposed by an external person or factor.

The reflexive form, se presser, is extremely common and translates to 'to hurry' or 'to rush.' This is used when the subject is hurrying themselves. For example, 'Il se presse pour ne pas être en retard' means 'He is rushing so as not to be late.'

Derived from the verb, the adjective pressé (feminine: pressée) means 'in a hurry' or 'rushed.' It's often used with the verb être. For example, 'Je suis pressé' means 'I'm in a hurry.'

To recap: use presser for literal pressing or for urging someone else. Use se presser when someone is hurrying themselves. Use être pressé(e) to state that you are in a rush.

💡 * Arrête de me presser, j'ai besoin de temps pour réfléchir ! (Stop rushing me, I need time to think!)

• Nous devons nous presser si nous voulons arriver à l'heure. (We have to hurry if we want to arrive on time.)
• Elle est toujours pressée le matin. (She is always in a hurry in the morning.)
• Le patron presse ses employés pour finir le projet. (The boss is pressuring his employees to finish the project.)

The 'to push' or 'drive' someone to do something – Inciter (quelqu'un) à

The French verb inciter translates to 'to incite,' 'to encourage,' or 'to prompt.' To express the idea of pushing or driving someone to do something, the specific structure is inciter quelqu'un à followed by an infinitive verb. This construction is key to using the verb correctly.

Inciter à often carries a neutral-to-negative connotation, implying a form of persuasion or provocation. While it can be used neutrally, like inciter à la prudence (to urge caution), it's frequently associated with instigating negative actions, such as inciter à la haine (to incite hatred) or inciter à la révolte (to incite rebellion).

It's helpful to distinguish inciter à from similar expressions. Pousser (quelqu'un) à is stronger, meaning 'to push' or 'compel someone to.' In contrast, encourager (quelqu'un) à is distinctly positive, meaning 'to encourage.' Choose inciter à when the meaning is closer to 'prompting' or 'provoking' an action rather than forcing or positively supporting it.

💡 * La publicité incite les consommateurs à dépenser plus d'argent.

• Son discours a incité la foule à se rebeller.
• Le professeur nous incite à réfléchir par nous-mêmes.
• Ne m'incite pas à faire quelque chose que je pourrais regretter.

The 'to force' or 'compel' – Forcer

The French verb forcer directly translates to the English 'to force' or 'to compel.' It is used when a person or circumstance obligates someone to do something, often against their will. Its resemblance to the English word makes it relatively easy for learners to recognize.

A crucial structure to master is forcer quelqu'un à faire quelque chose, which means 'to force someone to do something.' The preposition à is essential in this construction. For example, to say 'The rain forced us to go back inside,' you would say La pluie nous a forcé à rentrer.

Forcer is also used in a physical context, such as forcer une serrure (to force a lock) or forcer le passage (to force one's way through). Figuratively, you can use it in expressions like forcer un sourire (to force a smile), indicating an action that is not genuine.

💡 * Personne ne peut te forcer à faire quelque chose que tu ne veux pas.

• Les manifestants ont forcé le barrage de police.
• Il a forcé sa voix pour se faire entendre au-dessus du bruit.
• La maladie l'a forcé à annuler ses vacances.

The 'to push forward' (a project, an idea) – Faire avancer

The phrase for 'to push forward' a project or idea is faire avancer.

Faire avancer literally translates to 'to make advance' or 'to make move forward'. It's a crucial expression for discussing making progress on a task, a project, or even a social cause. It implies actively causing something to develop or proceed.

This expression is extremely common in professional, academic, and political settings. When you fais avancer un projet, you are actively working to get it to the next stage, overcoming challenges and ensuring it doesn't stall.

💡 * Il faut travailler en équipe pour faire avancer ce projet. (We need to work as a team to move this project forward.)

• Cette décision va faire avancer les négociations. (This decision will move the negotiations forward.)
• Comment pouvons-nous faire avancer la recherche sur ce sujet ? (How can we advance the research on this topic?)
• J'ai l'impression que rien ne fait avancer les choses. (I feel like nothing is making things move forward.)

1. The Expression for 'Pushing One's Limits': Repousser ses limites

The most common and direct way to say 'to push one's limits' in French is with the expression repousser ses limites. It's used in various contexts, from sports and personal development to professional challenges, mirroring its English counterpart.

Let's break down the expression. The verb repousser means 'to push back' or 'to repel.' The second part, ses limites, means 'one's limits.' So, the literal translation is 'to push back one's limits,' which conveys the idea of expanding your capabilities by overcoming barriers.

The verb repousser is a regular -er verb, making it easy to conjugate. The most important thing to remember is to change the possessive adjective (ses) to match the person who is pushing their limits. For example:

• Je repousse mes limites (I push my limits)
• Tu repousses tes limites (You push your limits)
• Nous repoussons nos limites (We push our limits)

Another similar expression you might encounter is dépasser ses limites, which means 'to surpass' or 'to exceed one's limits.' While very close in meaning, repousser ses limites often emphasizes the struggle and effort of pushing against a boundary, whereas dépasser ses limites focuses more on the result of going beyond it.

💡 * Pour devenir un champion, il faut sans cesse repousser ses limites. (To become a champion, you must constantly push your limits.)

• J'ai repoussé mes limites en terminant ce marathon. (I pushed my limits by finishing this marathon.)
• Ce nouveau projet nous oblige à repousser nos limites créatives. (This new project is forcing us to push our creative limits.)
• En apprenant le français, tu vas repousser tes limites intellectuelles. (By learning French, you are going to push your intellectual limits.)

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

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

Our guide has covered the most common and essential verbs for “to push” in French. But the language is rich with nuance, and you'll find many other specific or regional terms for this common action.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for a specific context, like “comment dire 'push a stroller' en français” or “verbe pour 'push through a crowd'”.

Whenever you encounter a new synonym for pousser, be sure to check its precise definition and look at example sentences. Context is crucial for choosing the right verb and sounding like a native speaker.

Pay attention when you watch French films or read French books. You’ll start to notice how different characters in different situations use a variety of verbs to express the simple act of pushing.

For a deeper dive into the subtleties of these verbs, or to find more related expressions, the Larousse dictionary entry for pousser is a fantastic starting point.

I hope this article has helped push your understanding of French verbs forward. To end, here is a fitting quote from French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Pour ce qui est de l'avenir, il ne s'agit pas de le prévoir, mais de le rendre possible. (As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.) Keep pushing your limits to make your future in French possible!