Réussir à or essayer de: did the attempt work?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Compare trying and succeeding through a stuck-door scene. Learn essayer de and réussir à, meet four pictured objects, and test the outcome.

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In short

Essayer de + infinitive means to try; réussir à + infinitive means to manage or succeed. J’ai essayé d’ouvrir la porte states an attempt. J’ai réussi à ouvrir la porte tells you the door opened in that episode.

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A person trying a key in a stubborn French apartment door, a bag resting on the floor.
A stuck door separates essayer de from réussir à. Illustration: Atelier

What is the difference between réussir à and essayer de?

essayer deto try to

Focus: The effort; the outcome can follow separately

essayer de + infinitif

J’ai essayé de comprendre son explication.
I tried to understand his explanation.

Elle essaie d’ouvrir la porte.
She is trying to open the door.

réussir àto manage to

Focus: Success at the action named by the infinitive

réussir à + infinitif

J’ai réussi à comprendre son explication.
I managed to understand his explanation.

Elle a réussi à ouvrir la porte.
She managed to open the door.

Listen to the rest of the attempt: j’ai essayé et j’ai réussi gives a successful result; j’ai essayé, mais je n’ai pas réussi gives an unsuccessful one. The infinitive defines the success: opening the door is the result in these examples.

A door that will not open

Four things in the scene

Devant la porte
  1. Inès

    J’ai essayé d’ouvrir la porte, mais la poignée ne bouge pas.

    I tried to open the door, but the handle won’t move.

  2. Sami

    Tu pourrais essayer de tourner la clé dans l’autre sens.

    You could try turning the key the other way.

  3. Inès

    Ah, ça marche ! J’ai réussi à ouvrir la porte.

    Ah, it works! I managed to open the door.

  4. Sami

    Parfait. Entre !

    Great. Come in!

Which preposition goes with réussir and essayer?

The infinitive stays the same; the first verb changes
TrySucceed
J’essaie de comprendre.Je réussis à comprendre.
Nous essayons de comprendre.Nous réussissons à comprendre.
J’ai essayé d’ouvrir.J’ai réussi à ouvrir.

Before a vowel, de becomes d’: essayer d’ouvrir. Keep à in réussir à ouvrir. Both j’essaie and j’essaye are accepted present spellings. In the future, je réussirai à ouvrir projects a success; the past scene above reports one already achieved.

Question 1No account needed
All you hear is J’ai essayé d’ouvrir la porte. What is stated?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

An attempt, with the outcome still open.. Essayer states the attempt. A continuation can give either success or failure.

Question 2No account needed
Complete the success construction.Elle a réussi ___ comprendre.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

à. Learn réussir à together: elle a réussi à comprendre.

Question 3No account needed
Complete the attempt before a vowel.Il va essayer ___ la porte.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

d’ouvrir. Essayer de becomes essayer d’ouvrir because ouvrir begins with a vowel.

Question 4No account needed
Which sentence reports an achieved opening in a past episode?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

J’ai réussi à ouvrir la porte.. The past réussir à sentence reports success; the other two describe future attempts.

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