Ecrire is the most common way to say to write in French. But did you know there are several other options? As you learn French, you'll undoubtedly want to express yourself in various written forms, from a quick note to a detailed essay. Knowing different verbs for to write can greatly enrich your vocabulary and make your French sound more natural and precise. Let's explore some common and less common ways to say to write in French!

The standard 'to write' – écrire

Écrire is the most fundamental and common verb for 'to write' in French. It's an irregular verb, making its conjugations essential to learn.

Understanding its conjugation in the present tense is a great starting point:j'écris (I write)tu écris (you write - informal singular)il/elle/on écrit (he/she/one writes)nous écrivons (we write)vous écrivez (you write - formal singular/plural)ils/elles écrivent (they write)

Most often, écrire is used transitively, meaning it takes a direct object to specify what is being written (e.g., écrire une lettre - to write a letter).

It can also be used with an indirect object, specifically when writing to someone. In this case, it's followed by the preposition à (e.g., écrire à un ami - to write to a friend).

The past participle of écrire is écrit. This irregular form is crucial for compound tenses like the passé composé (e.g., J'ai écrit un roman - I wrote a novel).

The reflexive form, s'écrire, means 'to write to each other' or 'to be written', implying a reciprocal action or a passive state (e.g., Ils s'écrivent souvent - They write to each other often).

Écrire features in many common phrases: écrire un message (to write a message), écrire à la main (to write by hand), and even écrire l'histoire (to make history).

Key words derived from écrire include un écrivain (a writer, m.), une écrivaine (a writer, f.), and une écriture (handwriting/a style of writing). Écrit can also be an adjective ('written') or a noun ('a written document').

Mastering écrire is fundamental for all forms of communication in French. Its versatility and common usage make it a cornerstone verb for any learner.

💡 * Je t'écris une lettre. (I'm writing you a letter.)

Elle écrit très bien. (She writes very well.)

Nous nous écrivons souvent. (We write to each other often.)

Il a écrit un nouveau livre. (He wrote a new book.)

Pourriez-vous m'écrire votre nom? (Could you write your name for me?)

To write down or to note down – noter

The French verb noter primarily means “to write down” or “to note down.” It's a versatile verb used for recording information, observations, or thoughts.

You'll often hear noter in academic or professional settings when someone is taking notes during a lecture, meeting, or while reading. It implies a conscious act of recording specific details.

It's also used for personal reminders, like noter un rendez-vous (to note down an appointment) or noter une idée (to jot down an idea). The emphasis is on the act of making a written record for future reference.

Beyond just writing, noter can also mean “to grade” or “to score” in an academic context. For example, noter un élève means to grade a student, or noter un devoir means to grade a homework assignment.

As a regular -ER verb, noter follows a straightforward conjugation pattern, making it relatively easy to master.

Whether you're recording important information, remembering a task, or evaluating performance, noter is your go-to verb for getting things down on paper (or screen) in French.

💡 * Je dois noter cette adresse. (I need to write down this address.)

Elle a noté toutes les informations importantes. (She noted down all the important information.)

Le professeur va noter les copies demain. (The teacher will grade the papers tomorrow.)

N'oubliez pas de noter vos idées. (Don't forget to jot down your ideas.)

As-tu noté l'heure du rendez-vous ? (Did you note down the time of the appointment?)

To draft or to write up (a document) – rédiger

When you want to express the idea of drafting or writing up a document in French, the verb you're likely looking for is rédiger.

While écrire is the general verb for 'to write,' rédiger carries a more formal and specific connotation, often implying a structured, official, or professional piece of writing.

Rédiger is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward once you know the pattern. For example, in the present tense, it conjugates as je rédige, tu rédiges, il/elle rédige, etc.

You'll frequently hear rédiger used with documents like reports (rapports), contracts (contrats), emails (e-mails), articles (articles), or official letters (lettres officielles).

Think of rédiger as 'to compose,' 'to draw up,' or 'to put into writing,' emphasizing the process of formulation and organization rather than just the physical act of writing.

While you can say écrire un rapport, rédiger un rapport is more precise and common when referring to the creation of a formal document. You'd écrire a quick note, but rédiger a detailed proposal.

Therefore, when the act of writing involves careful thought, structure, and a specific purpose, especially in a professional or academic context, rédiger is the more appropriate and elegant choice.

💡 * Il doit rédiger un rapport pour demain. (He has to draft a report for tomorrow.)

Nous avons rédigé le contrat ensemble. (We wrote up the contract together.)

Pouvez-vous rédiger un e-mail à tous les employés ? (Can you draft an email to all employees?)

Elle est en train de rédiger sa thèse. (She is currently writing her thesis.)

Le journaliste a rédigé un article passionnant. (The journalist wrote an exciting article.)

To scribble or to scrawl – gribouiller

The verb gribouiller means “to scribble” or “to scrawl” in French. It describes writing or drawing in a quick, messy, or illegible way.

This verb is often associated with children's drawings or hasty, unreadable notes. It implies a lack of care, precision, or artistic intent.

Gribouiller is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It carries a slightly informal and often negative connotation, suggesting something is poorly done or without much thought.

💡 * Mon fils adore gribouiller sur les murs. (My son loves to scribble on the walls.)

J'ai gribouillé quelques mots sur une feuille. (I scribbled a few words on a sheet of paper.)

Arrête de gribouiller pendant le cours ! (Stop scribbling during class!)

Elle gribouille des fleurs dans la marge de son cahier. (She scribbles flowers in the margin of her notebook.)

To type (on a keyboard) – taper (à l'ordinateur)

When you want to express 'to type' (on a keyboard) in French, the most common verb you'll use is taper.

Taper literally means 'to hit' or 'to knock'. To specify typing, you often need to add context or a complement, as the verb itself is quite versatile.

The most natural ways to clarify you're typing are taper à l'ordinateur (to type on the computer) or taper au clavier (to type on the keyboard). These phrases remove any ambiguity.

Taper is a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It's used actively to describe the action of inputting text, similar to its English counterpart.

For more formal contexts, especially in data entry or administrative tasks, the verb saisir (to enter, to capture) can be used, as in 'saisir des données' (to enter data).

💡 * Je dois taper un long rapport pour demain. (I have to type a long report for tomorrow.)

Il tape trop vite sur son clavier. (He types too fast on his keyboard.)

Peux-tu taper cette lettre s'il te plaît? (Can you type this letter, please?)

Elle a passé la journée à taper des documents à l'ordinateur. (She spent the day typing documents on the computer.)

Apprends à taper sans regarder le clavier. (Learn to type without looking at the keyboard.)

To compose (a text or a piece of music) – composer

The French verb composer directly translates to "to compose" in English. It is primarily used to describe the act of creating original artistic or structured works, particularly in music and literature.

Its most common application is in the realm of music, where it means to create a musical piece, song, or symphony. It can also refer to creating other artistic forms, such as a poem, a ballet, or even a painting, emphasizing the creative and structured effort involved.

Beyond music, composer is used for writing various types of texts. This includes composing letters, emails, articles, speeches, or even entire literary works like novels. In this context, it highlights the process of organizing thoughts and words into a coherent and complete message or narrative.

As a regular -er verb, composer follows standard conjugation patterns. While écrire means "to write," composer often implies a more deliberate, intricate, and creative act of putting elements together, suggesting a higher level of artistry or structure than mere transcription.

The verb composer can also extend to the idea of forming or making up something from different parts. For example, a team can be "composée" of various members, or a dish can be "composé" of several ingredients, emphasizing the assembly of elements into a whole.

💡 * Elle compose une nouvelle chanson pour son prochain album. (She is composing a new song for her next album.)

Le compositeur a composé une symphonie magnifique. (The composer composed a magnificent symphony.)

Je dois composer une lettre de motivation pour ce poste. (I need to compose a cover letter for this position.)

Il a composé un poème touchant pour son anniversaire. (He composed a touching poem for her birthday.)

Ce plat est composé de légumes frais et de quinoa. (This dish is composed of fresh vegetables and quinoa.)

To transcribe or to copy out – transcrire

The verb transcrire in French means 'to transcribe' or 'to copy out.' It refers to the act of converting information from one form to another, often from spoken words to written text, or from one written format to another.

You'll use transcrire when talking about converting audio recordings into written documents, copying notes from a whiteboard, or reproducing a piece of music. It implies a faithful reproduction of the original content.

💡 * Il doit transcrire l'interview audio en texte. (He has to transcribe the audio interview into text.)

Peux-tu transcrire ces notes pour moi ? (Can you copy out these notes for me?)

Le musicien a transcrit la mélodie à l'oreille. (The musician transcribed the melody by ear.)

Elle passe des heures à transcrire de vieux manuscrits. (She spends hours transcribing old manuscripts.)

To put in writing or to formalize in writing – mettre par écrit

The French phrase mettre par écrit translates literally to “to put in writing.” It’s a versatile expression used to describe the act of committing something to paper.

More than just écrire (to write), mettre par écrit often implies a deliberate act of formalizing or documenting something. It suggests giving an idea, agreement, or decision a permanent, official, or recordable form.

You'll typically hear this phrase when discussing contracts, proposals, official statements, or important plans that need to transition from an oral discussion to a written record.

💡 * Il faut mettre notre accord par écrit. (We need to put our agreement in writing.)

Pourriez-vous mettre cela par écrit, s'il vous plaît? (Could you please put that in writing?)

Les décisions de la réunion seront mises par écrit. (The decisions of the meeting will be put in writing.)

J'ai mis mes pensées par écrit pour ne rien oublier. (I wrote down my thoughts so as not to forget anything.)

To jot down (quickly) – griffonner

The French verb griffonner translates most accurately to "to jot down," "to scribble," or "to scrawl." It implies writing quickly and often somewhat messily, without much care for neatness or precision.

Unlike the more general verb écrire (to write), griffonner specifically highlights the speed and often the informality of the writing action. Think of it as quickly putting pen to paper to capture an idea before it's lost, or making a hasty note.

Griffonner is a regular -ER verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er. This makes it relatively straightforward to conjugate in various tenses, such as je griffonne (I jot down) or nous griffonnons (we jot down).

You'll typically use griffonner in situations where someone is making a quick note, a rough sketch, or even doodling. For example, griffonner des notes (to jot down notes) or griffonner un dessin (to doodle a drawing).

💡 *J'ai griffonné mon numéro de téléphone sur un post-it. (I jotted down my phone number on a sticky note.)
*Elle a griffonné quelques idées pour la réunion. (She scribbled a few ideas for the meeting.)
*Les enfants aiment griffonner sur du papier. (Children like to scribble on paper.)
*Il n'a pas eu le temps d'écrire proprement, il a juste griffonné son nom. (He didn't have time to write neatly, he just scrawled his name.)
*Peux-tu me griffonner l'adresse rapidement? (Can you quickly jot down the address for me?)

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'to write' in French, focusing on écrire and its nuances. But like any rich language, French offers a variety of other verbs and expressions, from more formal or specialized terms to regional usages and even some modern slang.

To explore further, you might do an online search for 'comment dire écrire en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms and expressions.

You might uncover some interesting synonyms or alternative phrases for écrire in your research. Always remember to check a word’s definition and observe how it's used in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

Pay close attention as you read French literature, watch French films, or listen to French music and conversations — you may discover different, more nuanced ways people talk about the act of writing.

For a comprehensive list of synonyms, expressions, and different contexts for 'to write' in French, the WordReference entry for écrire is an excellent starting point.

I hope this article has helped you understand the diverse ways to express 'to write' in French. To conclude, here’s a thought from Gustave Flaubert: Écrire est une façon de parler sans être interrompu. (Writing is a way of speaking without being interrupted.)

9 ways to say "to write" in French