The English verb "to reach" is incredibly versatile, isn't it? You can reach for a book on a high shelf, reach a destination after a long journey, or even reach an agreement. In French, just like in English, there isn't one single verb that covers all these situations. The word you need depends entirely on the context. Are you trying to physically grasp something, arrive at a place, or contact a person? Getting it right will make your French sound much more natural. Let's dive into 9 common and useful ways to say "to reach" in French!

The standard 'to reach' (a destination, a goal) – atteindre

Atteindre is the most versatile and common French verb for "to reach." It is used to describe reaching physical destinations, achieving abstract goals, or attaining a certain level or state.

Atteindre is an irregular -re verb. It follows a pattern common to verbs ending in -aindre, -eindre, and -oindre. The key feature is the introduction of a 'g' in plural forms. For example, in the present tense: j'atteins, tu atteins, il atteint, but nous atteignons, vous atteignez, ils atteignent.

The past participle of atteindre is atteint. This is essential for forming compound tenses like the passé composé. For example: J'ai atteint mon objectif. (I reached my goal).

Use atteindre when talking about arriving at a physical location, often implying that some effort was required. It emphasizes the completion of a journey. For example, Après des heures de route, nous avons enfin atteint la côte. (After hours on the road, we finally reached the coast).

This is a very common use, especially in professional and personal contexts. Atteindre is the perfect verb for expressing the achievement of abstract goals, targets, or milestones. For instance: L'équipe a travaillé dur pour atteindre ses objectifs. (The team worked hard to reach its objectives).

Atteindre is also used to signify reaching a specific number, age, speed, or abstract state. For example: La température a atteint 40 degrés. (The temperature reached 40 degrees) or Il a atteint un haut niveau de compétence. (He has reached a high level of skill).

While arriver simply means "to arrive," atteindre often implies overcoming a challenge or completing a significant journey. You would say Le bus est arrivé (The bus has arrived), but Les secours ont atteint les victimes (The rescuers reached the victims), highlighting the effort involved.

💡 * J'espère atteindre mes objectifs professionnels cette année.

• Après une longue randonnée, nous avons atteint le sommet de la montagne.
• La population de la ville a atteint un million d'habitants.
• Ses critiques ne m'ont pas atteint. (His criticism didn't reach/affect me.)
• Pouvez-vous atteindre l'étagère du haut pour moi ? (Can you reach the top shelf for me?)

To 'succeed in reaching' or 'manage to reach' – parvenir à

The French verb phrase parvenir à means 'to succeed in,' 'to manage to,' or 'to reach.' It emphasizes achieving a goal, often after overcoming some difficulty or obstacle.

The structure is straightforward: parvenir à + [infinitive verb]. Remember that parvenir is an irregular verb conjugated just like venir (e.g., je parviens, nous parvenons, ils sont parvenus).

Compared to the more common réussir à, parvenir à often has a slightly more formal tone. It implies not just success, but the culmination of a process or journey to arrive at a result.

This phrase is frequently used in professional, academic, or formal contexts. Think of negotiators reaching an agreement (parvenir à un accord), scientists reaching a conclusion (parvenir à une conclusion), or anyone achieving a long-sought objective.

Without the à and an infinitive, parvenir can simply mean 'to reach' or 'to arrive at' a destination or person. For example, La lettre lui est parvenue hier (The letter reached him yesterday).

💡 * Après des heures de travail, nous sommes parvenus à un accord. (After hours of work, we managed to reach an agreement.)

• Elle est parvenue à convaincre son patron. (She succeeded in convincing her boss.)
• Je ne parviens pas à ouvrir ce bocal. (I can't manage to open this jar.)
• Comment êtes-vous parvenu à cette conclusion ? (How did you manage to reach this conclusion?)

To 'arrive at' or 'get to' (a place, a conclusion) – arriver à

The verb phrase arriver à is a fundamental expression in French that translates to 'to arrive at' or 'to get to.' Its power lies in its versatility, as it can be used for both literal, physical destinations and figurative, abstract concepts like goals or conclusions.

When talking about reaching a physical place, the structure is arriver (conjugated) + à + [destination]. It's a direct equivalent of 'to arrive at/in'. Remember that the preposition à must contract with the definite articles le and les, becoming au and aux respectively. For example, arriver au parc (to arrive at the park).

Beyond physical travel, arriver à is essential for expressing the idea of reaching a conclusion, a decision, or a certain point in a process. The structure remains the same: arriver à une conclusion (to arrive at a conclusion).

A very common and important use of this phrase is arriver à + [infinitive verb]. In this context, it means 'to manage to do something' or 'to succeed in doing something.' It implies overcoming some level of difficulty.

The negative form, ne... arrive pas à + [infinitive], is frequently used to mean 'can't manage to' or 'to be unable to.' It's a perfect way to express difficulty or failure in performing an action, such as Je n'arrive pas à comprendre (I can't manage to understand).

💡 * Nous sommes arrivés à la gare juste à temps.

• Après des heures de débat, ils sont arrivés à un accord.
• Est-ce que tu arrives à ouvrir cette bouteille ?
• Je n'arrive pas à me souvenir de son nom.
• Elle est arrivée au bout de ses forces.

To 'reach' or 'get in touch with' (a person) – joindre

The French verb joindre is the primary way to express the idea of “reaching” or “getting in touch with” a person, typically by phone or email.

Similar to “to reach” in English, joindre is often used in a slightly formal or professional context. It emphasizes the action of trying to establish contact with someone who may be difficult to get a hold of.

Joindre is an irregular verb that follows the conjugation pattern of verbs ending in -indre, like peindre (to paint) or craindre (to fear). Its past participle is joint.

Be aware that joindre also means “to attach” or “to enclose,” especially with documents. You will often see it used in phrases like joindre un fichier (to attach a file) or in the common email sign-off Veuillez trouver ci-joint... (Please find attached...).

💡 * J'ai essayé de vous joindre toute la matinée. (I tried to reach you all morning.)

• Est-ce que tu as réussi à joindre le médecin ? (Did you manage to get in touch with the doctor?)
• Il est difficile à joindre car il est toujours en réunion. (He is difficult to reach because he is always in a meeting.)
• N'oubliez pas de joindre votre CV à votre candidature. (Don't forget to attach your resume to your application.)

The physical 'to reach' or 'to touch' – toucher

The verb toucher is the most direct French equivalent for the English verb 'to touch.' Its primary and most literal meaning involves making physical contact with an object or a person.

Beyond its physical sense, toucher is commonly used figuratively to mean 'to affect' or 'to move' someone emotionally. A story, a song, or a kind gesture can toucher someone deeply.

In a completely different context, toucher also means 'to receive' or 'to collect,' specifically when talking about money. For example, one can toucher un salaire (receive a salary) or toucher une allocation (receive benefits).

In sports, toucher can mean 'to hit' or 'to make contact with,' such as a ball hitting a post (la balle a touché le poteau).

Because of its versatility, understanding the context is crucial when you encounter the verb toucher. Whether it implies a physical touch, an emotional chord, or a financial transaction depends entirely on the surrounding words and situation.

💡 * Ne touche pas à mes affaires ! (Don't touch my things!)

• Son histoire m'a beaucoup touché. (His story really moved me.)
• Chaque mois, il touche son salaire le 25. (Every month, he receives his salary on the 25th.)
• Le gardien a touché le ballon du bout des doigts. (The goalkeeper touched the ball with his fingertips.)

To 'gain access to' or 'reach' (a level, a place) – accéder à

The verb accéder à is the French equivalent of 'to access,' 'to reach,' or 'to gain access to.' It's a versatile verb used for both physical locations and abstract concepts, like reaching a certain level or status.

Crucially, accéder is an intransitive verb that always requires the preposition à before its object. Remember that à contracts with the definite articles le and les to form au and aux. For example, you would say accéder au site (to access the site) and accéder aux fichiers (to access the files).

In a literal sense, you use accéder à for entering a physical place or getting into a digital resource. For instance, you might use it to talk about accessing a building, a room, a website, or a specific file on a computer.

Figuratively, accéder à describes reaching a new stage, level, or position. This could mean being promoted to a management role (accéder à un poste de direction), advancing to the next round of a competition (accéder à la finale), or gaining independence (accéder à l'indépendance).

In summary, whenever you want to express the idea of gaining entry or reaching a certain point, accéder à is your go-to verb. The most important thing to remember is to always include the preposition à or its contractions (au, aux).

💡 * Il faut un mot de passe pour accéder au Wi-Fi. (You need a password to access the Wi-Fi.)

• Elle a travaillé dur pour accéder à ce poste. (She worked hard to reach this position.)
• Les pompiers n'ont pas pu accéder à l'immeuble en feu. (The firefighters could not access the burning building.)
• Avec cette clé, vous pouvez accéder à toutes les salles. (With this key, you can access all the rooms.)

1. To 'end up at' or 'result in' – aboutir à

The French verb aboutir à is a versatile term used to describe something that 'ends up at,' 'leads to,' or 'results in' a particular outcome or place. It implies a process or journey that has reached its conclusion, whether it's a physical arrival or the culmination of efforts.

Aboutir à is commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts. You might use it to talk about a road that leads to a specific place, but it's more frequently used for abstract concepts. For example, negotiations can aboutir à un accord (result in an agreement), or an investigation can aboutir à une conclusion (lead to a conclusion).

Grammatically, aboutir is an intransitive verb that is always followed by the preposition à. The structure is quelque chose aboutit à [un nom]. Remember that à contracts with the definite articles le and les to become au and aux respectively.

💡 * Ce petit chemin aboutit à une plage cachée. (This little path leads to a hidden beach.)

• Les négociations ont finalement abouti à un accord. (The negotiations finally resulted in an agreement.)
• Malheureusement, tous ses efforts n'ont abouti à rien. (Unfortunately, all his efforts came to nothing.)
• L'enquête a abouti à l'arrestation du suspect. (The investigation led to the arrest of the suspect.)

To 'obtain' or 'achieve' (a result) – obtenir

The verb obtenir is a fundamental French verb that translates to 'to get,' 'to obtain,' or 'to achieve.' It's used when acquiring something, often implying that some effort or process was required.

Unlike the more general verb avoir (to have/get), obtenir emphasizes the action of succeeding in getting something. You don't just passively receive; you actively obtain. For instance, you obtenez un emploi (get a job) after an interview, or you obtenez la permission (get permission) after asking.

Obtenir is the perfect verb for talking about achieving goals, results, or qualifications. It's commonly used in contexts like obtenir un diplôme (to get a degree), obtenir de bons résultats (to achieve good results), or obtenir une réponse (to get an answer).

A key point for learners: obtenir is an irregular verb. It is conjugated like the verb tenir (to hold). For example, its passé composé is formed with the auxiliary avoir: j'ai obtenu, tu as obtenu, etc.

💡 * J'ai travaillé dur pour obtenir cette promotion.

• Elle a finalement obtenu son permis de conduire.
• Nous espérons obtenir de meilleurs résultats ce trimestre.
• Comment puis-je obtenir plus d'informations sur ce sujet ?

1. To 'contact' or 'get a hold of' – contacter

The French verb contacter is the most direct and widely used term for 'to contact' or 'to get in touch with'. It is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, making it relatively easy to learn. Contacter is versatile and appropriate for both formal (e.g., business correspondence) and informal (e.g., messaging a friend) situations.

A key grammatical rule for contacter is that it's a direct transitive verb. This means it acts directly on its object without needing a preposition. In English, we say 'contact someone' or 'get in touch with someone,' but in French, you simply say contacter quelqu'un. Avoid the common mistake of adding a preposition like avec.

A common alternative is the verb joindre, which translates closely to 'to reach' or 'to get a hold of'. It's often used when trying to reach someone by phone. For example, J'essaie de joindre le bureau means 'I'm trying to reach the office.' While contacter refers to the act of initiating contact, joindre often emphasizes the success (or failure) of reaching the person.

💡 * Veuillez me contacter par e-mail pour plus d'informations. (Please contact me by email for more information.)

• J'ai contacté le service client hier. (I contacted customer service yesterday.)
• Il est difficile de le joindre par téléphone aujourd'hui. (It's difficult to get a hold of him by phone today.)
• Contactez-nous si vous avez des questions. (Contact us if you have any questions.)

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

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

Our guide has covered the most essential verbs for 'to reach' in French, such as atteindre, parvenir à, and arriver à. But French is a language rich with specific vocabulary, so you will certainly encounter other verbs and expressions depending on the context and region.

To discover more, you can do an online search for specific situations, like “comment dire 'reach an agreement' en français” or “'reach for the stars' en français”.

Whenever you find a new synonym for 'to reach', be sure to check its definition and the prepositions it requires. Understanding if a verb is transitive (like atteindre quelque chose) or intransitive (like parvenir à quelque chose) is key to using it correctly.

Pay attention when you're reading, watching, or listening to French media. Notice how different verbs are used to convey the idea of reaching a destination, a goal, or a physical object. This is the best way to internalize the nuances.

If you want to explore more abstract or figurative ways to talk about reaching goals or understanding, the WordReference entry for atteindre is a fantastic starting point with many example sentences and forum discussions.

I hope this article has helped you reach a new level of understanding. To finish, 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, it's not a matter of predicting it, but of making it possible.)