The first word you probably learned for “to share” in French is partager. It’s a fantastic all-purpose verb, but the French language is full of nuance! Depending on what you’re sharing and how you’re sharing it, there might be a better, more precise word to use.

Whether you’re splitting a bill, passing along information, or handing out snacks, using the right verb will make you sound more like a native speaker.

Let’s explore 9 different ways to say “to share” and enrich your French vocabulary!

1. The standard 'to share' – partager

The most direct, common, and versatile way to say 'to share' in French is with the verb partager. It's the essential vocabulary word for this concept.

Partager is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows a standard pattern, making it accessible for learners. It covers nearly every situation where you would use 'to share' in English.

There is one small but important spelling rule to remember. For the nous (we) form, an 'e' is kept after the 'g' to maintain the soft sound (like the 's' in 'pleasure'). So, it's nous partageons, not nous partagons.

You can use partager for sharing any tangible object. This is its most straightforward use, from sharing food (partager un repas) to sharing a living space (partager un appartement).

The verb works just as well for intangible things. You can share an opinion (partager un avis), a moment (partager un moment), a passion (partager une passion), or information (partager des nouvelles).

The key sentence structure to learn is partager quelque chose avec quelqu'un (to share something with someone). The preposition avec (with) is almost always used to introduce the person you are sharing with.

In certain contexts, partager also carries the meaning of 'to split' or 'to divide'. A very common example is partager l'addition (to split the bill) at a restaurant.

💡 * Je partage ma pizza avec ma sœur. (I'm sharing my pizza with my sister.)

Nous partageons les mêmes valeurs. (We share the same values.)

Elle a partagé une photo de son chat sur les réseaux sociaux. (She shared a photo of her cat on social media.)

Ils se partagent les tâches ménagères. (They share the household chores.)

On peut partager un taxi pour aller à l'aéroport ? (Can we share a taxi to go to the airport?)

To share or 'divide' something – diviser

The French verb diviser is the primary equivalent of the English verb 'to divide'. While it can sometimes be related to the concept of sharing, its core meaning revolves around separation and distribution into parts.

In its most straightforward usage, diviser means to cut or separate something into pieces. This is common in contexts like cooking or construction. It is also the specific term used in mathematics. For example, vingt divisé par quatre égale cinq (twenty divided by four equals five).

Beyond the literal sense, diviser is frequently used figuratively to mean causing discord or disagreement among people. A controversial subject might diviser une famille (divide a family) or diviser l'opinion (divide opinion).

It is crucial not to confuse diviser with partager (to share). Diviser implies breaking a whole into separate, distinct parts. Partager implies enjoying or using something together or giving a piece of something to someone else in a spirit of generosity. You divise a bill to pay separate amounts, but you partage a meal with friends.

As a regular -er verb, diviser is relatively easy to conjugate. It follows the standard pattern, making it predictable in various tenses. For example, in the present tense: je divise, tu divises, il/elle/on divise, nous divisons, vous divisez, ils/elles divisent.

💡 * On a divisé le gâteau en six parts égales. (We divided the cake into six equal parts.)

Cette décision a divisé le comité. (This decision divided the committee.)

Pour le projet, nous allons diviser les tâches entre nous. (For the project, we are going to divide the tasks among ourselves.)

Il est difficile de diviser son attention entre deux choses à la fois. (It's difficult to divide your attention between two things at once.)

To share or 'distribute' – distribuer

The French verb distribuer is the most direct translation for the English verb 'to distribute.' It implies the action of handing out, dealing, or giving items to a group of people in an organized way.

The core idea behind distribuer is allocation or dissemination. It's not just sharing, but systematically giving something out to several recipients. Think of a postal worker delivering mail to different houses or a volunteer handing out flyers.

You will commonly use distribuer in situations like dealing cards in a game (distribuer les cartes), handing out assignments in a class (distribuer les devoirs), or delivering goods (distribuer des colis).

For learners, distribuer is a helpful verb as it is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the standard, predictable conjugation pattern for this group, making it straightforward to use in various tenses like the present, past, and future.

It's important not to confuse distribuer with partager ('to share'). Partager often implies dividing a single item among a group (e.g., sharing a pizza). Distribuer, on the other hand, typically involves giving out multiple, separate items to individuals in a group.

💡 * Le facteur distribue le courrier chaque matin. (The mailman distributes the mail every morning.)

C'est à ton tour de distribuer les cartes. (It's your turn to deal the cards.)

L'enseignant a distribué les copies du test. (The teacher handed out the copies of the test.)

L'association caritative va distribuer des repas chauds cet hiver. (The charity will distribute hot meals this winter.)

To share or 'have in common' – avoir en commun

The phrase avoir en commun is the direct French equivalent of 'to have in common.' It's used to express a shared characteristic, interest, or quality between two or more subjects.

The structure is simple: the verb avoir (to have) is conjugated to match the subject, followed by the fixed phrase en commun. For example, 'They have in common' is Ils/Elles ont en commun.

This expression is used for abstract concepts like personality traits, hobbies, or experiences. It is distinct from the verb partager (to share), which is typically used for physical items (e.g., sharing a meal) or dividing something tangible.

To state what is shared, you add the noun or clause after the phrase. For example, Nous avons un ami en commun means 'We have a friend in common.' To say you have 'nothing in common,' you use the negative form: Nous n'avons rien en commun.

💡 * Toi et moi, nous avons beaucoup de choses en commun. (You and I have a lot of things in common.)

Qu'est-ce que ces deux artistes ont en commun ? (What do these two artists have in common?)

Mes sœurs et moi avons en commun l'amour de la lecture. (My sisters and I share a love of reading.)

Ils n'ont rien en commun, mais ils sont amis. (They have nothing in common, but they are friends.)

To share the cost or 'split the bill' – partager les frais

The phrase partager les frais is the most direct and common way to talk about splitting a bill in French. It literally translates to "to share the costs" or "to share the expenses."

This expression is versatile and suitable for both formal and informal situations. Whether you're dining with colleagues or friends, partager les frais is a clear and polite way to suggest dividing the cost.

To suggest splitting the bill, you can simply ask, On partage les frais ? which means, "Shall we split the cost?" The verb partager is conjugated like any regular -er verb.

In a more casual setting, especially when splitting the cost evenly, you might hear On fait moitié-moitié ? (pronounced mwa-tyay mwa-tyay), which means "Should we go halves?" or "Should we do 50/50?"

While there are informal alternatives, partager les frais remains the standard, universally understood phrase. It's your safest and most reliable option for any situation involving shared expenses.

💡 * On partage les frais pour le taxi ? (Shall we split the cost for the taxi?)

L'addition est arrivée, on partage les frais. (The bill has arrived, we're splitting the cost.)

Pour le cadeau de Marie, c'est plus simple si tout le monde partage les frais. (For Marie's gift, it's simpler if everyone shares the cost.)

Ne t'en fais pas, on va faire moitié-moitié. (Don't worry, we'll go halves.)

To share an experience or a moment – vivre ensemble

When you want to express the idea of sharing a significant experience or moment in French, a powerful and nuanced phrase is vivre ensemble quelque chose, which translates to 'to live something together.'

Literally meaning 'to live together,' vivre ensemble in this context goes far beyond simple cohabitation. While the verb partager means 'to share' (e.g., sharing food or an apartment), vivre ensemble un moment implies deeply and collectively experiencing something, creating a shared memory and bond.

This phrase is reserved for meaningful events, both positive and negative. You wouldn't use it for sharing a taxi, but it's perfect for describing the collective joy of a celebration, the shared challenge of a difficult project, or the unified grief during a hard time. It emphasizes the emotional weight of the shared experience.

Use vivre ensemble to elevate the concept of 'sharing' to 'experiencing together.' It highlights unity and the creation of a collective history. The phrase implies that the experience itself was shaped and defined by the fact that it was not lived alone.

💡 * Après tout ce que nous avons vécu ensemble, notre amitié est plus forte. (After everything we've lived through together, our friendship is stronger.)

Ils ont vécu ensemble la joie de la naissance de leur premier enfant. (They experienced together the joy of the birth of their first child.)

C'est une aventure que nous allons vivre ensemble. (This is an adventure that we are going to experience together.)

To share a secret or 'confide in' – confier

The French verb confier translates to 'to confide', 'to entrust', or 'to tell in confidence'. It's the perfect verb to use when you are sharing a secret or entrusting someone with a personal piece of information or a valuable object.

The verb follows a specific structure: confier quelque chose à quelqu'un (to confide something to someone). The person you are confiding in is the indirect object, introduced by the preposition à.

The reflexive form, se confier à, is very common and means 'to confide in' or 'to open up to' someone. This form emphasizes the act of sharing one's feelings or personal life. For example, Il se confie à son meilleur ami means 'He confides in his best friend'.

💡 * Je dois te confier quelque chose d'important. (I have to confide something important to you.)

Elle a confié son chien à ses parents pendant son voyage. (She entrusted her dog to her parents during her trip.)

C'est difficile de se confier quand on a peur d'être jugé. (It's hard to open up when you're afraid of being judged.)

À qui puis-je me confier ? (Who can I confide in?)

To share out or 'deal' – répartir

The French verb répartir translates to 'to share out,' 'to distribute,' 'to divide,' or 'to deal.' It implies a systematic and often equitable division of something among several people, groups, or places.

While partager means 'to share,' répartir carries the sense of organized allocation. You would partager a secret with a friend, but you would répartir supplies among a team or tasks for a project. It focuses on the process of distribution.

Répartir is a regular -ir verb that conjugates just like finir. For example, its passé composé is formed with the auxiliary verb avoir: j'ai réparti (I have distributed).

The reflexive form, se répartir, is frequently used when a group divides something among its members. A classic example is se répartir les tâches, which means 'to divide the tasks amongst themselves.'

💡 * Le professeur a réparti les cahiers entre les élèves. (The teacher distributed the notebooks among the students.)

Nous nous sommes réparti le travail pour finir plus vite. (We divided the work among ourselves to finish faster.)

L'aide humanitaire sera répartie dans les zones sinistrées. (The humanitarian aid will be distributed in the disaster-stricken areas.)

Le chef a réparti les parts de gâteau de manière égale. (The chef divided the slices of cake equally.)

1. To Share Information or 'Impart': Communiquer

The most direct verb for sharing or imparting information in French is communiquer. Closely related to the English word 'communicate,' it serves as the primary translation for conveying information, ideas, or feelings from one person to another.

Communiquer is a versatile verb. You can use it with a direct object to state what is being shared (e.g., communiquer une nouvelle - to share a piece of news) or with the preposition avec to specify who you are communicating with (e.g., communiquer avec un ami - to communicate with a friend).

Beyond simple conversation, communiquer also carries the meaning of 'to transmit' or 'to pass on.' This can refer to abstract concepts like passion or enthusiasm, or even something tangible like a disease. For instance, Il m'a communiqué sa passion means 'He passed on his passion to me.'

💡 * Le manager doit clairement communiquer les objectifs à son équipe. (The manager must clearly communicate the objectives to their team.)

Elle communique facilement avec les enfants. (She communicates easily with children.)

Le médecin a communiqué le diagnostic au patient. (The doctor imparted the diagnosis to the patient.)

Sa joie de vivre est si forte qu'elle la communique à tout son entourage. (Her joy for life is so strong that she transmits it to everyone around her.)

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

Our list features the most common and versatile verbs for 'to share' in French, especially the essential verb partager. However, French offers a rich variety of other terms for more specific contexts, from distributing items to communicating ideas.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for “synonymes de partager” or looking up how to express specific actions, like “how to say 'share a post' in French.”

When you discover a new verb, pay close attention to the context. For instance, répartir implies a more organized division than partager. Always check example sentences to understand the nuances before using a new word.

Listen for these words as you engage with French media. Notice how characters in a film partagent un repas (share a meal) or how a news report talks about communiquer des informations (sharing information). This real-world context is the best teacher.

For a deeper dive into the different meanings and related expressions, the Larousse or WordReference dictionary entries for partager are fantastic resources. They often provide helpful examples and discussions.

I hope this article has been helpful in your French learning journey. To conclude, here is a perfect quote on the topic from French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Le bonheur n'est réel que lorsqu'il est partagé. (Happiness is only real when shared.)

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