When you think of how to say “to swim” in French, the verb nager probably comes to mind first. And you'd be right! It's the most common and direct translation. But what if you want to talk about taking a quick dip, bathing in the sea, or just splashing around?

French, with its characteristic richness, offers several other ways to talk about swimming, each with its own subtle meaning and context.

Ready to dive in? Let's explore 9 different ways to say “to swim” in French and make your vocabulary more colorful and precise!

1. The standard 'to swim' – nager

The most common and direct verb for 'to swim' in French is nager.

Nager is a regular -er verb from the first group. This means it follows a standard conjugation pattern for most tenses, with one small but important spelling change to be aware of.

In the present tense (présent de l'indicatif), the conjugation is mostly regular. However, for the nous form, a 'e' is added after the 'g' to keep the soft 'g' sound (like 'j' in 'je').

• je nage
• tu nages
• il/elle/on nage
• nous nageons
• vous nagez
• ils/elles nagent

To talk about swimming in the past, you will use the passé composé. Nager conjugates with the auxiliary verb avoir, and its past participle is nagé.

• J'ai nagé (I swam)
• Nous avons nagé (We swam)

Use nager in any situation where you would say 'to swim' in English. It applies to people swimming for fun or sport, as well as animals swimming in their natural habitat.

Nager is also part of several common expressions:

• aller nager: to go swimming
• savoir nager: to know how to swim
• nager la brasse: to swim the breaststroke
• nager le crawl: to swim freestyle (the crawl)

💡 * J'adore nager dans la mer quand il fait chaud.

• Sais-tu nager le papillon ?
• Hier, nous avons nagé jusqu'à la bouée.
• Regarde, les poissons nagent vite !
• Elle va nager à la piscine tous les mardis.

The leisurely 'to go for a swim' – se baigner

The leisurely 'to go for a swim' – se baigner

The French verb se baigner translates to 'to swim' or 'to bathe'. Crucially, it's a reflexive verb used to describe the act of being in water for pleasure and leisure, rather than for sport.

The primary difference lies in intent. You use se baigner for recreational swimming, like splashing in the waves, wading in a lake, or relaxing in a pool. The verb nager, on the other hand, refers to the physical act of swimming with strokes for exercise or movement, like swimming laps.

Se baigner is most commonly associated with swimming in natural bodies of water, such as the sea (la mer), a lake (un lac), or a river (une rivière). It captures the entire experience of 'going for a dip'.

As a reflexive verb, se baigner must be used with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: je me baigne (I swim), tu te baignes (you swim), nous nous baignons (we swim), etc. This structure reinforces the idea of 'bathing oneself'.

💡 * En été, j'adore me baigner dans la mer.

• Les enfants se baignent dans le lac pendant que les parents se reposent.
• Attention, il est interdit de se baigner ici à cause des courants.
• On va à la piscine pour se baigner cet après-midi ?

The sporty 'to go swimming' – faire de la natation

When you want to discuss swimming as a sport, exercise, or a regular hobby, the key French expression is faire de la natation.

Literally translating to 'to do swimming,' this phrase uses the common French construction faire de + [sport/activity]. This pattern is used for many sports and hobbies, like faire du vélo (to go biking) or faire du ski (to go skiing).

It's important to distinguish this from the verb nager, which simply means 'to swim.' You use nager to describe the physical act of swimming at a particular moment. In contrast, faire de la natation refers to the activity as a whole, often implying a recurring practice or sport.

To use this expression in different tenses, you only need to conjugate the verb faire. The second part, de la natation, always stays the same. For example, 'I go swimming' is Je fais de la natation, and 'She will go swimming' is Elle fera de la natation.

In summary, use faire de la natation when talking about swimming as a planned activity, a workout, or a hobby. If you are simply describing someone moving through the water at that instant, nager is the better choice.

💡 * Pour rester en forme, je fais de la natation tous les mercredis.

• Quand il était jeune, il faisait de la natation en compétition.
• Tu veux venir faire de la natation avec nous à la piscine municipale ?
• Elle a appris à faire de la natation à l'âge de cinq ans.

The quick 'to take a dip' – piquer une tête

The quick 'to take a dip' – piquer une tête

Literally, piquer une tête translates to "to sting/prick a head." As an idiom, however, it means to go for a quick swim or take a brief dip. The phrase emphasizes a spontaneous and refreshing plunge into the water.

This is an informal expression used in casual settings, especially during warm weather. You'd use it with friends or family when you're near a pool, lake, or the sea to suggest a short swim, not a long athletic session.

The verb in the phrase, piquer, is a regular -er verb, making it straightforward to conjugate. For example: Je vais piquer une tête (I'm going to take a dip) or Nous avons piqué une tête (We took a dip).

💡 * Il fait si chaud, je vais piquer une tête dans la piscine. (It's so hot, I'm going to take a dip in the pool.)

• Allez, on pique une tête avant de déjeuner ? (Come on, shall we take a quick swim before lunch?)
• Les enfants ont piqué une tête dans la mer dès notre arrivée. (The kids took a dip in the sea as soon as we arrived.)

The casual 'to paddle' – faire trempette

A charming and informal way to talk about dipping your feet in the water is with the expression faire trempette.

Literally, faire trempette translates to 'to do a little dip.' The word trempette comes from the verb tremper, meaning 'to dip' or 'to soak,' often used for food, like dipping a biscuit in tea.

In practice, faire trempette means to paddle, splash around, or take a quick, casual dip without the intention of swimming seriously. It’s perfect for describing someone cooling their feet at the water's edge or a child playing in the shallows.

This is a highly informal and familial expression. You'd use it when talking about relaxing at the beach, a lake, or a swimming pool, but not for describing athletic training.

It's crucial not to confuse faire trempette with nager (to swim). If you're doing laps, you are en train de nager. If you're just sitting on the steps of the pool with your feet in the water, you are en train de faire trempette.

💡 * L'eau est un peu froide, je vais juste faire trempette.

• Les enfants adorent faire trempette au bord de la mer.
• Tu viens faire trempette avec nous dans la piscine ?
• On a passé l'après-midi à faire trempette dans la rivière.

The pool-specific 'to do laps' – faire des longueurs

When you want to talk about the specific activity of swimming laps for exercise in a pool, the go-to French expression is faire des longueurs.

The phrase translates quite literally. Faire means 'to do' or 'to make,' and une longueur means 'a length.' So, faire des longueurs means 'to do lengths,' which perfectly describes the action of swimming from one end of a pool to the other and back.

This phrase is specifically tied to swimming pools (la piscine). While the general verb for 'to swim' is nager, using faire des longueurs clarifies that you are swimming for exercise, not just playing or relaxing in the water. It emphasizes the repetitive, athletic nature of the activity.

To use this expression, you simply conjugate the irregular verb faire according to the subject and tense, while des longueurs remains the same. For instance: je fais des longueurs (I swim laps), nous avons fait des longueurs (we swam laps), il fera des longueurs (he will swim laps).

💡 * Pour m'entraîner, je fais cinquante longueurs chaque matin.

• Tu veux venir faire des longueurs avec moi à la piscine ce soir ?
• Hier, elle a fait des longueurs pendant une heure.
• Combien de longueurs est-ce que tu fais d'habitude ?

The specific 'to swim a stroke' – nager le crawl/la brasse

The general verb for 'to swim' in French is nager. However, when you want to specify the type of swimming stroke, you don't use a different verb. Instead, you add the name of the stroke directly after nager.

The structure is nager + le/la + [stroke name]. The definite article (le or la) is crucial and corresponds to the gender of the noun for the stroke. For example, you say nager le crawl (to swim the crawl/freestyle) and nager la brasse (to swim the breaststroke).

This structure applies to all swimming styles. Other common examples include nager le dos (to swim backstroke) and nager le papillon (to swim butterfly).

💡 * J'apprends à nager le crawl avec un moniteur.

• Elle est très forte, elle nage la brasse sur de longues distances.
• Mon père m'a appris à nager le dos quand j'étais enfant.
• Le papillon est le style de nage que je trouve le plus difficile.

1. The relaxing 'to float' – faire la planche

The French expression for floating on your back in the water is faire la planche. Literally, this translates to 'to do the plank' or 'to make the board.' This imagery perfectly captures the act of lying flat and still on the water's surface, much like a wooden plank.

This phrase is specifically used for the recreational act of floating on one's back, typically to relax in a pool, lake, or a calm sea. It's a common term you'll hear during summer holidays or at the beach.

The expression is built around the irregular verb faire (to do/make). To use it, you simply conjugate faire for the correct subject and tense. For example, 'I am floating' is Je fais la planche, and 'We were floating' is Nous faisions la planche.

While the verb flotter also means 'to float,' it's more general. A boat or a piece of wood can flotter. Faire la planche, however, describes the specific action a person takes to float on their back.

💡 * J'adore faire la planche dans la mer pour me détendre.

• Regarde les enfants qui font la planche dans la piscine.
• Il est resté une heure à faire la planche sans bouger.
• Apprends-moi à faire la planche, s'il te plaît !

The colloquial 'to jump in' – se jeter à l'eau

The French expression se jeter à l'eau literally translates to 'to throw oneself into the water.' This imagery is key to understanding its figurative, more common meaning.

Colloquially, se jeter à l'eau means 'to take the plunge' or 'to jump in.' It's used to describe the act of finally deciding to do something difficult, risky, or new after a period of hesitation.

This idiom is perfect for situations that require a leap of faith, such as starting a business, making a major life decision, or confessing your feelings. It implies overcoming fear to commit to a course of action.

As a pronominal verb, the reflexive pronoun must agree with the subject. For example: Je me jette à l'eau (I'm taking the plunge) or in the passé composé, Elle s'est jetée à l'eau (She took the plunge).

💡 * Après des mois d'hésitation, il s'est jeté à l'eau et a lancé son entreprise.

• Allez, jette-toi à l'eau et demande-lui de sortir avec toi !
• Je sais que parler en public est difficile, mais il faut bien se jeter à l'eau un jour.
• Nous nous sommes jetés à l'eau en achetant cette maison sans avoir toutes les garanties.

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

So, are there other ways to say 'to swim' in French?

Our list features the most common and essential verbs, nager and se baigner. But of course, French is a nuanced language with other terms for specific situations, from professional jargon to playful slang you might hear at the beach.

You can expand your vocabulary by looking up related activities. For instance, try searching for terms like faire trempette (to take a dip) or barboter (to splash around) to discover more casual and descriptive expressions.

When you find a new word, always check its definition and try to observe how it's used in context. Notice if it's used for humans or animals, in a pool or the ocean, for leisure or for sport. This will help you use it naturally.

Pay attention when you watch French movies or TV shows, especially those set during les grandes vacances (the long summer vacation). Listening to how native speakers talk about going to the pool or the sea is the best way to learn.

If you want to explore more vocabulary related to swimming, the WordReference forum for nager is an excellent place to see discussions among native speakers about the subtle differences between words.

I hope this article has helped you feel more confident about discussing swimming in French. To finish, here is a fitting quote from the famous naval explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau: La mer, une fois qu'elle vous a jeté son sort, vous tient dans son filet d'émerveillement pour toujours. (The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.)