Scale
How fast? French movement from flâner to foncer
Flâner, se balader, marcher, se dépêcher, courir, foncer: climb seven French verbs of moving from strolling to racing, with the art of the flâneur.
- B1
- 7 steps
- slow → fast
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In short
Speed verbs climb from flâner (to stroll aimlessly) and se balader (to wander) through marcher and se dépêcher (to hurry) to courir (to run), foncer (to rush, charge) and filer (to dash off). Flâner is almost a philosophy in Paris.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
fast
- foncer / filerto race, dashCasual: je file ! = I'm off!
- courirto runNeutral.
- se dépêcherto hurryDépêche-toi !
- presser le pasto quicken one's paceA bit literary.
- marcherto walkNeutral.
- se balader / se promenerto go for a walkRelaxed.
- flânerto stroll aimlesslyLooking at shop windows, no goal.
slow
Hear it in use
- Ami
On flâne un peu dans le Marais ?
Shall we stroll around the Marais?
- Toi
Avec plaisir, j'adore me balader sans but.
Gladly, I love wandering with no aim.
- Ami
Oh, il est déjà 18 h ! Mon train part à 18 h 20.
Oh, it's already 6 pm! My train leaves at 6:20.
- Toi
Alors fonce ! On se dépêche !
Then run for it! Let's hurry!
Le flâneur was a figure of 19th-century Paris described by Baudelaire: a city walker observing life. Je file or je me sauve are casual ways to say you're leaving quickly. Foncer also means to go for it: Fonce, tu vas réussir !
Fonce, tu as toutes tes chances !
Go for it, you've got every chance!
- Je vais faire une promenade à pied.Je vais me promener / me balader.
The verb is simpler.
- Dépêche !Dépêche-toi !
Se dépêcher is reflexive.