French Word of the Day
essayer
/es-sa-YER/ • verb — 20th of Apr, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to try; to attempt (also to try/taste something)
Examples
- J'essaie de parler français tous les jours.
(I'm trying to speak French every day.) - Essaie ce gâteau, il est délicieux.
(Try this cake, it's delicious.) - Elle a essayé plusieurs méthodes avant de réussir.
(She tried several methods before succeeding.)
Synonyms
- tenter
- tester
Use essayer to say you attempt to do something; it is commonly followed by de + infinitive (essayer de faire quelque chose). Note the spelling change in conjugation: many forms use 'essaie' (j'essaie, tu essaies, il/elle essaie, ils essaient) while nous/vous use 'essayons/essayez'. The variant spelling 'j'essaye' also exists.
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