Learning to say “visit” in French is both useful and fun! Whether you’re talking about visiting someone, a place, or even planning a trip, this word can help you in many situations. French has different ways to express the idea of a visit, depending on what you’re referring to. By practicing these expressions, you can feel more confident in your conversations.
In this article, you’ll learn how to say “visit” in French, explore other ways to express it, learn how to respond, and even practice with exercises. With these tips, you’ll be ready to use this word in real-life situations, like talking about visiting friends, family, or exciting destinations. Let’s start!
Ways to Say “Visit” in French
When you want to talk about visiting in French, you’ll find there are different words and expressions depending on the context. Whether you’re visiting a friend, a place, or someone formally, these phrases will help you express yourself clearly. Below are various ways to say “visit” in French, including pronunciation, meaning, and examples to use them naturally.
1. Visiter
Pronunciation: vee-zee-tay
Meaning: To visit (a place).
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons visiter Paris cet été. (We are going to visit Paris this summer.)
- Il aime visiter des musées le week-end. (He likes visiting museums on the weekend.)
2. Rendre visite à
Pronunciation: rahn-druh vee-zeet ah
Meaning: To visit (a person).
In a Sentence:
- Je vais rendre visite à ma grand-mère dimanche. (I will visit my grandmother on Sunday.)
- Nous avons rendu visite à un ami à l’hôpital. (We visited a friend in the hospital.)
3. Aller voir
Pronunciation: ah-lay vwahr
Meaning: To go see (a person).
In a Sentence:
- Je vais aller voir mon frère ce soir. (I will go see my brother tonight.)
- Elle est allée voir son médecin hier. (She went to see her doctor yesterday.)
4. Faire une visite
Pronunciation: fehr oon vee-zeet
Meaning: To make a visit.
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons fait une visite rapide au musée. (We made a quick visit to the museum.)
- Ils ont fait une visite de courtoisie à leurs voisins. (They paid a courtesy visit to their neighbors.)
5. Explorer
Pronunciation: eks-ploh-ray
Meaning: To explore (informal visit to discover).
In a Sentence:
- J’adore explorer de nouveaux endroits. (I love exploring new places.)
- Les enfants ont exploré la forêt pendant la journée. (The children explored the forest during the day.)
6. Se rendre
Pronunciation: suh rahn-druh
Meaning: To go (for a visit or appointment).
In a Sentence:
- Elle se rend souvent chez ses parents. (She often visits her parents.)
- Nous nous rendons à une réunion importante. (We are going to an important meeting.)
7. Passer voir
Pronunciation: pah-say vwahr
Meaning: To drop by (a person).
In a Sentence:
- Je vais passer voir Sophie après le travail. (I’ll drop by Sophie’s place after work.)
- Nous avons passé voir nos voisins pour dire bonjour. (We dropped by our neighbors to say hello.)
8. Découvrir
Pronunciation: day-koo-vreer
Meaning: To discover (like a visit for learning or enjoyment).
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons découvert un joli village pendant notre voyage. (We discovered a lovely village during our trip.)
- Elle aime découvrir de nouvelles villes chaque année. (She loves discovering new cities every year.)
9. Faire un tour
Pronunciation: fehr uh toor
Meaning: To take a tour (visit informally).
In a Sentence:
- On va faire un tour du quartier cet après-midi. (We’ll take a tour of the neighborhood this afternoon.)
- J’aimerais faire un tour de la vieille ville. (I’d like to take a tour of the old town.)
10. Assister à
Pronunciation: ah-sees-tay ah
Meaning: To attend (a formal visit/event).
In a Sentence:
- Ils ont assisté à un concert incroyable hier soir. (They attended an incredible concert last night.)
- Nous assistons à une cérémonie officielle ce matin. (We are attending an official ceremony this morning.)
11. Découverte
Pronunciation: day-koo-vehrt
Meaning: A discovery (visit focused on exploration).
In a Sentence:
- La découverte de cette région a été fascinante. (The discovery of this region was fascinating.)
- Pendant nos vacances, nous avons fait des découvertes incroyables. (During our vacation, we made incredible discoveries.)
12. Invitation chez
Pronunciation: ahn-vee-tah-syon shay
Meaning: An invitation to (visit someone).
In a Sentence:
- J’ai reçu une invitation chez ma tante pour le dîner. (I received an invitation to my aunt’s for dinner.)
- Il a accepté l’invitation chez son ami avec plaisir. (He gladly accepted the invitation to his friend’s house.)
13. Faire un séjour
Pronunciation: fehr uh say-zhoor
Meaning: To spend time (stay/visit for a while).
In a Sentence:
- Ils vont faire un séjour à la montagne cet hiver. (They’re going to spend time in the mountains this winter.)
- Nous avons fait un séjour en Provence pour découvrir la région. (We stayed in Provence to explore the region.)
14. S’arrêter chez
Pronunciation: sah-ray-tay shay
Meaning: To stop by (someone’s place).
In a Sentence:
- En rentrant, je me suis arrêté chez mon ami. (On my way back, I stopped by my friend’s place.)
- Nous nous sommes arrêtés chez des cousins pour le déjeuner. (We stopped by some cousins’ place for lunch.)
15. Faire une excursion
Pronunciation: fehr oon eks-kur-syon
Meaning: To take a trip (organized visit).
In a Sentence:
- L’école a fait une excursion au parc naturel. (The school took a trip to the nature park.)
- J’adore faire des excursions en groupe. (I love taking group trips.)
16. Faire une halte
Pronunciation: fehr oon ahlt
Meaning: To make a stop (brief visit).
In a Sentence:
- Pendant le voyage, nous avons fait une halte dans une petite ville. (During the trip, we made a stop in a small town.)
- Ils ont fait une halte rapide chez leur famille. (They made a quick stop at their family’s place.)
17. Accompagner
Pronunciation: ah-kon-pah-nyay
Meaning: To accompany (to visit with someone).
In a Sentence:
- Je vais accompagner ma mère pour rendre visite à ses amis. (I’ll accompany my mom to visit her friends.)
- Nous avons accompagné notre professeur pour visiter le musée. (We accompanied our teacher to visit the museum.)
18. Parcourir
Pronunciation: par-koor-eer
Meaning: To travel through (exploratory visit).
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons parcouru la campagne à vélo. (We traveled through the countryside by bike.)
- Il adore parcourir les rues de Paris. (He loves traveling through the streets of Paris.)
19. Pointer son nez
Pronunciation: pwan-tay son nay
Meaning: To show up (casual visit).
In a Sentence:
- Il a pointé son nez chez nous hier soir. (He showed up at our place last night.)
- Ils pointent souvent leur nez sans prévenir. (They often show up unannounced.)
20. Fréquenter
Pronunciation: freh-kahn-tay
Meaning: To frequent (visit regularly).
In a Sentence:
- Elle fréquente ce café chaque matin. (She visits this café every morning.)
- Ils fréquentent souvent cette bibliothèque pour étudier. (They often visit this library to study.)
21. Se balader
Pronunciation: suh bah-lah-day
Meaning: To stroll around (casual visit).
In a Sentence:
- Nous nous sommes baladés dans le parc pour admirer les fleurs. (We strolled around the park to admire the flowers.)
- Ils aiment se balader dans les vieux quartiers de la ville. (They enjoy strolling around the old parts of the city.)
22. Consulter
Pronunciation: kon-sul-tay
Meaning: To consult (visit a professional).
In a Sentence:
- J’ai consulté un médecin hier pour mon mal de tête. (I visited a doctor yesterday for my headache.)
- Elle consulte souvent un avocat pour ses affaires. (She often consults a lawyer for her business matters.)
23. Apporter sa présence
Pronunciation: ah-por-tay sah pray-zahns
Meaning: To bring one’s presence (attend a visit or event).
In a Sentence:
- Il a apporté sa présence à la réunion pour soutenir l’équipe. (He brought his presence to the meeting to support the team.)
- Elle aime apporter sa présence aux événements culturels. (She likes attending cultural events.)
24. Flâner
Pronunciation: flah-nay
Meaning: To wander or roam (casual visit without a purpose).
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons flâné dans les rues de Lyon pour découvrir la ville. (We wandered through the streets of Lyon to discover the city.)
- Ils ont flâné sur la plage tout l’après-midi. (They wandered on the beach all afternoon.)
25. Saluer
Pronunciation: sah-lu-ay
Meaning: To greet (brief visit to say hello).
In a Sentence:
- J’ai salué mon voisin avant de partir au travail. (I greeted my neighbor before leaving for work.)
- Ils sont passés pour saluer leurs amis avant de rentrer chez eux. (They stopped by to greet their friends before heading home.)
Other Ways to Say “Visit” in French
Here are some alternative ways to express “visit” in French. These variations provide different nuances depending on the context and tone. Use this table as a handy reference for your conversations.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Faire une découverte | fehr oon day-koo-vehrt | To make a discovery | Nous avons fait une découverte passionnante dans ce village. (We made an exciting discovery in this village.) |
| Aller chez | ah-lay shay | To go to someone’s place | Nous allons chez Marie ce soir. (We’re going to Marie’s place tonight.) |
| Parcourir une région | par-koor-eer oon ray-zhyon | To travel through a region | Ils ont parcouru une région magnifique en vacances. (They traveled through a beautiful region on vacation.) |
| S’arrêter quelque part | sah-ray-tay kel-kuh par | To stop somewhere briefly | Nous nous sommes arrêtés quelque part pour déjeuner. (We stopped somewhere for lunch.) |
| Organiser une visite | or-gah-nee-zay oon vee-zeet | To organize a visit | L’école a organisé une visite au musée. (The school organized a visit to the museum.) |
| Faire un itinéraire | fehr uh ee-tee-nay-rehr | To make an itinerary | Ils ont fait un itinéraire pour visiter la ville. (They made an itinerary to visit the city.) |
| Faire une rencontre | fehr oon rahn-kon-truh | To meet someone (during a visit) | Nous avons fait une rencontre incroyable au parc. (We met an incredible person at the park.) |
| Être invité chez | eh-truh ahn-vee-tay shay | To be invited to someone’s place | Nous avons été invités chez nos amis hier. (We were invited to our friends’ house yesterday.) |
| Visiter en groupe | vee-zee-tay ahn groop | To visit as a group | Ils ont visité le château en groupe. (They visited the castle as a group.) |
| Faire des retrouvailles | fehr day ruh-troo-vah-yuh | To reunite with someone (special visit) | Nous avons fait des retrouvailles émouvantes avec nos cousins. (We had a touching reunion with our cousins.) |
Responses to “Visit” in French
When someone talks about a visit or invites you, knowing how to respond politely is important. In French, responses can range from simple acknowledgments to more enthusiastic replies. Below are ways to respond to mentions of a visit in French, including pronunciation, meaning, and examples.
1. Oui, avec plaisir
Pronunciation: wee ah-vek pleh-zeer
Meaning: Yes, with pleasure.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Voulez-vous visiter notre maison ce week-end? (Would you like to visit our house this weekend?)
Person 2: Oui, avec plaisir. (Yes, with pleasure.)
2. C’est une bonne idée
Pronunciation: say oon bohn ee-day
Meaning: That’s a good idea.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Que diriez-vous d’aller visiter le musée? (How about visiting the museum?)
Person 2: C’est une bonne idée! (That’s a good idea!)
3. Je serais ravi(e)
Pronunciation: juh suh-ray rah-vee
Meaning: I would be delighted.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Voulez-vous rendre visite à ma famille? (Would you like to visit my family?)
Person 2: Je serais ravi! (I would be delighted!)
4. Ça me va
Pronunciation: sah muh vah
Meaning: That works for me.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Ça te dit de visiter la plage demain? (How about visiting the beach tomorrow?)
Person 2: Ça me va! (That works for me!)
5. Pourquoi pas
Pronunciation: poor-kwah pah
Meaning: Why not.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: On pourrait visiter le parc cet après-midi? (Could we visit the park this afternoon?)
Person 2: Pourquoi pas! (Why not!)
6. Merci pour l’invitation
Pronunciation: mehr-see poor lahn-vee-tah-syon
Meaning: Thank you for the invitation.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Nous aimerions vous inviter à dîner. (We’d like to invite you for dinner.)
Person 2: Merci pour l’invitation! (Thank you for the invitation!)
7. J’ai hâte d’y aller
Pronunciation: zhay aht dee ah-lay
Meaning: I’m excited to go.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Nous allons visiter un château ce week-end. (We are visiting a castle this weekend.)
Person 2: J’ai hâte d’y aller! (I’m excited to go!)
8. Ça a l’air intéressant
Pronunciation: sah ah lehr ahn-tay-reh-sahn
Meaning: That sounds interesting.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: On pourrait visiter cette exposition. (We could visit this exhibit.)
Person 2: Ça a l’air intéressant. (That sounds interesting.)
9. Je vais réfléchir
Pronunciation: juh vay ray-flay-sheer
Meaning: I’ll think about it.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Veux-tu visiter le musée avec moi? (Do you want to visit the museum with me?)
Person 2: Je vais réfléchir. (I’ll think about it.)
10. Désolé(e), je ne peux pas
Pronunciation: day-zoh-lay, juh nuh puh pah
Meaning: Sorry, I can’t.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Tu veux visiter ce café demain? (Do you want to visit this café tomorrow?)
Person 2: Désolé, je ne peux pas. (Sorry, I can’t.)
Exercise to Practice “Visit” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises to help you practice the phrases related to “visit” in French. Each sentence is in French, and the answers, along with their meanings, are provided after the exercise. These sentences are designed to be relatable to daily life in the USA.
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- Nous allons _________ le musée d’art ce week-end.
- Je vais _________ visite à ma tante samedi.
- Est-ce que tu veux _________ un café cet après-midi?
- Pendant notre voyage, nous avons _________ de beaux endroits.
- Elle veut _________ une excursion dans le parc naturel.
- Nous avons décidé de _________ chez nos voisins pour dire bonjour.
- Après l’école, je vais _________ voir mon ami pour discuter.
- Hier, ils ont _________ leur médecin pour un examen de routine.
- Nous aimerions _________ un itinéraire pour visiter la ville.
- L’équipe a _________ une halte au parc pour se reposer.
- Pendant l’été, j’aime _________ de nouveaux endroits dans ma région.
- Tu devrais _________ une visite à ce monument historique.
Answers and Translations
- visiter (We are going to visit the art museum this weekend.)
- rendre (I’m going to visit my aunt on Saturday.)
- aller prendre (Do you want to grab a coffee this afternoon?)
- découvert (During our trip, we discovered beautiful places.)
- faire (She wants to take a trip to the nature park.)
- passer (We decided to stop by our neighbors to say hello.)
- aller (After school, I’m going to see my friend to chat.)
- consulté (Yesterday, they visited their doctor for a routine check-up.)
- préparer (We’d like to prepare an itinerary to visit the city.)
- fait (The team made a stop at the park to rest.)
- explorer (In the summer, I like exploring new places in my area.)
- organiser (You should organize a visit to this historic monument.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “visit” in French opens the door to more meaningful conversations and better communication. Whether you’re talking about visiting a person, exploring a place, or attending an event, there are many phrases to fit different situations. From simple terms like visiter for places to more specific ones like rendre visite à for people, these expressions help you sound more fluent and natural.
Practice makes perfect, so use these words and responses in your everyday conversations or while traveling. Not only will this improve your French, but it will also help you connect better with French speakers. Keep practicing, and soon, talking about visits will feel effortless!