Essayer is the most common way to say "to try" in French. But did you know there are several other options, each with its own nuances and contexts?

As you delve deeper into French, you'll find that expressing the idea of "trying" can take on many forms, from attempting something new to testing out an idea or even trying on clothes.

Let's explore some common ways to say "to try" (and, sometimes, more than "to try") in French, enriching your vocabulary and making your conversations more precise!

The standard 'to try' – essayer

The standard “to try” – essayer

Essayer is the most common and versatile French verb for “to try.” It’s your go-to for almost all situations where you would use “to try” in English.

As a regular -er verb, essayer is fairly straightforward to conjugate. However, it undergoes a slight stem change in some conjugations: the 'y' changes to an 'i' before a silent 'e' (e.g., j'essaie, tu essaies, il essaie, ils essaient). The 'y' remains for nous and vous (nous essayons, vous essayez).

When you want to express “to try to do something,” essayer is always followed by the preposition de and an infinitive verb. This structure is crucial for indicating an attempt to perform an action.

When referring to trying on clothes, trying out a new dish, or testing a new gadget, essayer is used directly with the noun (without de). This implies physically experiencing or testing the object.

Essayer is also part of several common French expressions. For example, essayer de faire de son mieux means “to try one’s best,” and essayer sa chance means “to try one’s luck.”

Essayer is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Whether you're speaking to a friend or in a professional setting, essayer is an appropriate choice, making it incredibly useful for learners.

💡 * J'essaie d'apprendre le français tous les jours. (I try to learn French every day.)

• Elle a essayé la nouvelle robe dans le magasin. (She tried on the new dress in the store.)
• Nous allons essayer ce restaurant italien ce soir. (We are going to try this Italian restaurant tonight.)
• Essayez de ne pas faire trop de bruit, s'il vous plaît. (Try not to make too much noise, please.)
• Il essaie toujours de faire de son mieux pour réussir. (He always tries to do his best to succeed.)

2. To attempt, to try (often with effort or risk) – tenter

When you want to express the idea of attempting or trying something in French, especially when there's an element of effort, risk, or a challenge involved, the verb tenter is your go-to choice.

Tenter translates most directly to 'to attempt' or 'to try,' but it often carries a stronger connotation than a simple 'try.' It implies a more deliberate effort, a venture into the unknown, or even a temptation.

Like many French verbs, tenter is frequently followed by de + an infinitive to express 'to try to do something.' For example, 'tenter de comprendre' means 'to try to understand.'

You'll often hear tenter in situations where there's a perceived risk, a significant challenge, or a strong desire to achieve something difficult. Think of 'attempting an expedition' or 'trying a new, difficult recipe.'

A very common and useful idiom is tenter sa chance, which means 'to try one's luck' or 'to take a chance.' This perfectly encapsulates the verb's underlying sense of risk-taking.

While tenter and essayer (to try) can sometimes be interchangeable, tenter often implies a more serious, focused, or even daring attempt, whereas essayer can be a more casual 'try-out' or 'test.'

So, when you're embarking on something significant, challenging, or with a hint of uncertainty, remember to tenter!

💡 * Il a tenté de gravir le Mont Blanc. (He attempted to climb Mont Blanc.)

• Elle va tenter sa chance au loto. (She's going to try her luck at the lottery.)
• Nous devons tenter de trouver une solution. (We must try to find a solution.)
• Ne tente pas le diable! (Don't tempt fate! / Don't push your luck!)
• J'ai tenté de l'appeler, mais il n'a pas répondu. (I tried to call him, but he didn't answer.)

To make an effort to, to strive to – s'efforcer de

To express the idea of 'making an effort to' or 'striving to' do something in French, the verb s'efforcer de is commonly used.

S'efforcer de is a reflexive verb, meaning it uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. This is indicated by the 's'' before 'efforcer' in its infinitive form.

Crucially, s'efforcer is always followed by the preposition de when introducing an infinitive verb, much like 'to try to' in English. The structure is: subject + reflexive pronoun + efforcer + de + infinitive verb.

This verb conjugates like a regular -er verb. For example, je m'efforce (I make an effort), tu t'efforces (you make an effort), il/elle/on s'efforce (he/she/one makes an effort), etc. It conveys a stronger sense of effort, persistence, or struggle compared to simply 'trying' (essayer de).

While essayer de means 'to try to,' s'efforcer de implies a more dedicated, often difficult, effort – a true 'striving' or 'endeavoring' to achieve something. It suggests a conscious and often sustained exertion.

💡 * Je m'efforce d'apprendre le français tous les jours. (I make an effort to learn French every day.)

• Ils se sont efforcés de terminer le projet à temps. (They strove to finish the project on time.)
• Nous devrions nous efforcer de nous comprendre. (We should make an effort to understand each other.)
• Elle s'efforce d'améliorer sa prononciation. (She is making an effort to improve her pronunciation.)
• Efforcez-vous de rester calme. (Make an effort to stay calm.)

To seek to, to try to (find a way) – chercher à

The phrase chercher à (pronounced sher-shay ah) translates to “to seek to” or “to try to” in English. It implies an active effort to find a way or a solution to do something.

Unlike simply “trying” (often expressed with essayer de), chercher à carries the nuance of searching for the means or the method to achieve an action. It suggests a deliberate, often investigative, attempt.

This construction is always followed by an infinitive verb, indicating the action one is seeking or trying to accomplish. For example, chercher à comprendre (to try to understand) or chercher à résoudre (to try to solve).

While chercher on its own means “to look for” or “to search for” (an object or person), the addition of à shifts the meaning to an attempt to perform an action or to find a way to do something.

💡 * Il cherche à améliorer son français. (He's trying to improve his French.)

• Nous cherchons à comprendre la situation. (We are trying to understand the situation.)
• Ils ont cherché à nous contacter. (They tried to contact us.)
• Je cherche à trouver une solution. (I'm trying to find a solution.)
• Elle cherche à partir avant la nuit. (She's trying to leave before nightfall.)

To try out, to test (often for resilience or experience) – éprouver

The verb éprouver translates to "to try out" or "to test," often implying a deeper, more significant trial than a simple experiment.

Éprouver fundamentally means to put something or someone to the test. This can be a physical test, a mental challenge, or even a test of endurance.

A key nuance of éprouver is its implication of testing resilience, strength, or character. It's often used when facing difficulties or challenges that reveal true capabilities.

Beyond physical tests, éprouver is also commonly used to express experiencing or feeling strong emotions, particularly those that are profound or impactful, like joy, pain, or fear.

While essayer is the common verb for "to try" in everyday contexts, éprouver carries a more formal, sometimes literary, tone. It suggests a deeper, often more impactful, experience or test.

Think of éprouver not just as "to try," but as "to put through an ordeal," "to experience profoundly," or "to test thoroughly." It implies a weightier, more significant trial or feeling.

💡 * Elle a éprouvé de grandes difficultés pendant ses études.

• Le temps a éprouvé leur amitié.
• Il a éprouve une joie immense en apprenant la nouvelle.
• Ce test est conçu pour éprouver la résistance du matériau.
• J'éprouve un profond respect pour son travail.

To give it a try (idiom) – faire un essai

The French phrase faire un essai directly translates to "to make a test" or "to make an attempt." However, it is most commonly used idiomatically to mean "to give it a try" or "to try out something."

This idiom is perfect for situations where you want to suggest trying something new, testing a product or service, or undertaking a trial period. It implies a temporary or experimental attempt to see how something works or if it's suitable.

While the verb essayer simply means "to try" (e.g., j'essaie de comprendre - "I'm trying to understand"), faire un essai carries the nuance of a more deliberate, often singular, or evaluative attempt. Think of it as "making a test run" or "giving something a shot."

You'll hear faire un essai when talking about test drives (faire un essai routier), trying out a new sport, or even a trial period at a job. It emphasizes the act of testing or sampling before committing.

To sound more natural and precise when suggesting a trial or a first attempt at something, incorporate faire un essai into your French vocabulary. It's a versatile phrase for many "try it out" scenarios.

💡 * Je vais faire un essai avec ce nouveau logiciel. (I'm going to give this new software a try.)

• Tu veux faire un essai de la voiture ? (Do you want to take the car for a test drive?)
• Elle a fait un essai au club de danse hier. (She gave the dance club a try yesterday.)
• Faisons un essai pour voir si ça marche. (Let's give it a try to see if it works.)

To put to the test, to try out (for quality or capability) – mettre à l'épreuve

The French phrase mettre à l'épreuve translates directly to “to put to the test” or “to try out.” It's used when evaluating the quality, capability, or resilience of something or someone.

This idiom implies subjecting something to a challenge or a demanding situation to see how it performs. It can be applied to a person's patience, a machine's durability, or a theory's validity, often with the intent to assess its true worth.

Whether you're testing a new product, challenging a person's resolve, or verifying an idea, mettre à l'épreuve is the perfect phrase. It often conveys a sense of rigorous assessment and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

💡 * Nous allons mettre ce nouveau logiciel à l'épreuve. (We are going to put this new software to the test.)

• Elle a été mise à l'épreuve pendant ses examens. (She was put to the test during her exams.)
• Le temps a mis leur amitié à rude épreuve. (Time put their friendship to a severe test.)
• Il faut mettre ses compétences à l'épreuve sur le terrain. (One must try out their skills in the field.)
• Cette expérience mettra nos limites à l'épreuve. (This experience will test our limits.)

To experiment, to try (a new method or idea) – expérimenter

The verb expérimenter directly translates to 'to experiment' or 'to try out' a new method or idea. It carries a sense of testing, observing, and evaluating.

Unlike essayer (to try), expérimenter implies a more systematic or formal process of testing, often in a scientific, technological, or methodological context. It suggests a deliberate effort to discover, prove, or understand something through practical application.

You'll frequently hear expérimenter used when discussing new policies, educational approaches, scientific hypotheses, or innovative technologies. It emphasizes the novelty and the investigative nature of the action.

Expérimenter is a transitive verb, meaning it directly takes an object. For example, expérimenter une nouvelle méthode (to experiment with a new method) or expérimenter un prototype (to test a prototype).

💡 * Les scientifiques vont expérimenter un nouveau vaccin.

• Nous devons expérimenter différentes approches pour résoudre ce problème.
• L'entreprise expérimente un système de travail hybride.
• Ils ont expérimenté plusieurs recettes avant de trouver la bonne.
• Il est essentiel d'expérimenter de nouvelles idées pour innover.

2. To try (food or drink) – goûter

When you want to say 'to try' in the specific context of food or drink, the verb you're looking for is goûter. This versatile verb is precisely used for tasting, sampling, or trying a new dish or beverage, emphasizing the sensory experience.

Goûter is a regular -er verb, meaning its conjugation follows a predictable pattern (e.g., je goûte, tu goûtes, il/elle goûte, nous goûtons, vous goûtez, ils/elles goûtent). It's most commonly used with a direct object, such as goûter le vin (to taste the wine) or goûter un plat (to try a dish).

Beyond simply 'to taste,' goûter also carries the meaning 'to have a snack' or 'to have tea time.' This is especially clear when used as a noun, le goûter, which refers to the afternoon snack. As a verb, you might hear phrases like faire goûter les enfants (to give the children their snack).

You'll frequently encounter goûter in expressions such as goûter un plat (to try a dish), goûter le vin (to taste the wine), or goûter à tout (to try a bit of everything). It always implies an act of sensory evaluation related to consumption.

💡 *Je voudrais goûter ce fromage. (I would like to try this cheese.)
*As-tu déjà goûté le vin local ? (Have you already tasted the local wine?)
*Les enfants vont goûter après l'école. (The children are going to have their snack after school.)
*Elle a goûté la soupe et l'a trouvée délicieuse. (She tasted the soup and found it delicious.)
*N'hésitez pas à goûter les spécialités régionales. (Don't hesitate to try the regional specialties.)

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

Are there other ways to say ‘to try’ in French?

Our list has covered the most common and versatile ways to say ‘to try’ in French. However, like many verbs, French offers a rich tapestry of expressions, some specific to certain contexts, regions, or even varying in nuance and intensity. There are always more specific or idiomatic ways to express the idea of 'trying'!

To delve deeper, you could try an online search for ‘comment dire essayer en ___’ followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms or less common expressions.

When you encounter new synonyms or expressions for 'to try', always verify their meaning and observe how they are used in different contexts. This will help you understand their precise nuance and appropriateness.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, or listening to podcasts — pay close attention to how native speakers express the idea of 'trying'. You'll naturally pick up on more subtle variations.

For a comprehensive look at the verb essayer and its related expressions, the WordReference entry is an excellent starting point, offering many examples and nuances.

I hope this article has helped you broaden your understanding of how to say 'to try' in French. To conclude, here’s a thought from André Gide that perfectly captures the spirit of 'trying': On ne découvre de terres nouvelles qu’à condition de consentir à perdre de vue tout rivage. (One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of all shore.)