The verb boire means "to drink." It is irregular and used to describe drinking beverages and other liquids. It can also be used figuratively (e.g., boire un coup meaning "to have a drink").
Usage
- Used for drinking beverages or any liquid.
- Can be followed by a noun (e.g., Je bois de l’eau – I drink water).
- Also appears in idiomatic expressions (boire un verre, boire comme un trou).
Example Sentences
- Je bois un café chaque matin. (I drink a coffee each morning.)
- Ils boivent de l’eau froide. (They drink cold water.)
- Nous avons bu du vin hier soir. (We drank wine last night.)
- Elle boira du thé après le dîner. (She will drink tea after dinner.)
- Bois un peu d’eau ! (Drink some water!)
Pronunciation Tips
- Present tense nous form: nous buvons — the "buv-" is pronounced /byv/.
- Present tense ils/elles form: ils boivent — pronounced /bwav/.
- Past participle bu is pronounced /by/.
Which stem is used in the present tense for 'nous'?
buv-
The correct stem for 'nous' in the present tense is 'buv-', as in 'nous buvons.' The 'boi-' stem is used for je, tu, il/elle, and they use other forms.
Common Expressions with Boire
- boire un verre — to have a drink
- boire comme un trou — to drink like a fish
- boire la tasse — to swallow water (literally) / have a hard time
- être assoiffé(e) — to be very thirsty (related word)
Conjugations
Complete conjugations of boire across the most important tenses. Each tense includes French examples and English translations.
Present (Indicative)
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | bois | Je bois un jus d’orange. | I drink an orange juice. |
| tu | bois | Tu bois du thé vert. | You drink green tea. |
| il/elle/on | boit | Elle boit de l’eau minérale. | She drinks mineral water. |
| nous | buvons | Nous buvons du café. | We drink coffee. |
| vous | buvez | Vous buvez du lait. | You drink milk. |
| ils/elles | boivent | Ils boivent du soda. | They drink soda. |
Passé Composé
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| j’ | ai bu | J’ai bu un smoothie. | I drank a smoothie. |
| tu | as bu | Tu as bu trop vite. | You drank too fast. |
| il/elle/on | a bu | Il a bu de l’eau froide. | He drank cold water. |
| nous | avons bu | Nous avons bu du thé. | We drank tea. |
| vous | avez bu | Vous avez bu du vin rouge. | You drank red wine. |
| ils/elles | ont bu | Elles ont bu au café. | They drank at the café. |
Imparfait
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | buvais | Je buvais du jus tous les jours. | I used to drink juice every day. |
| tu | buvais | Tu buvais toujours du thé. | You always drank tea. |
| il/elle/on | buvait | Elle buvait beaucoup d’eau. | She drank a lot of water. |
| nous | buvions | Nous buvions ensemble. | We drank together. |
| vous | buviez | Vous buviez du café le matin. | You drank coffee in the morning. |
| ils/elles | buvaient | Ils buvaient au bar. | They drank at the bar. |
Futur Simple
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | boirai | Je boirai un thé plus tard. | I will drink tea later. |
| tu | boiras | Tu boiras un jus frais. | You will drink fresh juice. |
| il/elle/on | boira | Il boira de l’eau. | He will drink water. |
| nous | boirons | Nous boirons ensemble demain. | We will drink together tomorrow. |
| vous | boirez | Vous boirez du vin au dîner. | You will drink wine at dinner. |
| ils/elles | boiront | Elles boiront du café. | They will drink coffee. |
Conditionnel Présent
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | boirais | Je boirais un café si j’avais le temps. | I would drink a coffee if I had time. |
| tu | boirais | Tu boirais du thé à ma place. | You would drink tea in my place. |
| il/elle/on | boirait | Elle boirait de l’eau fraîche. | She would drink fresh water. |
| nous | boirions | Nous boirions plus si nous avions soif. | We would drink more if we were thirsty. |
| vous | boiriez | Vous boiriez du vin si vous sortiez. | You would drink wine if you went out. |
| ils/elles | boiraient | Ils boiraient du soda avec le repas. | They would drink soda with the meal. |
Subjonctif Présent
| French Pronoun | French Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| que je | boive | Il faut que je boive de l’eau. | I need to drink water. |
| que tu | boives | Il faut que tu boives du thé. | You need to drink tea. |
| qu’il/elle/on | boive | Il faut qu’elle boive son médicament. | She needs to drink her medicine. |
| que nous | buvions | Il faut que nous buvions plus. | We need to drink more. |
| que vous | buviez | Il faut que vous buviez lentement. | You need to drink slowly. |
| qu’ils/elles | boivent | Il faut qu’ils boivent avant de partir. | They need to drink before leaving. |
Summary
- Boire means "to drink" and is irregular.
- Use de + definite article (du, de la, de l’) for partitive expressions.
- Key stems: boi- (je, tu, il/elles), buv- (nous, vous, imparfait, subjonctif).
- Important past participle: bu.
- Common tenses: présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel, subjonctif.
- Look out for irregular forms in the present (ils boivent), past participle (bu), and stem changes.
You’re now ready to use *boire* confidently in conversation and writing.
Which partitive articles are used with boire?
du, de la, de l’
Boire is often followed by partitive articles — du (masculine), de la (feminine), de l’ (before vowels) — to mean 'some' of the liquid.
Flashcards (1 of 36)
- English Example: I drink an orange juice.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
