Published January 7, 2024 • Updated September 12, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Essayer meaning
Essayer is a French verb meaning “to try” or “to attempt.” It is commonly followed by de + infinitive when trying to do something, as in essayer de comprendre (to try to understand). It can also take a direct object when trying or testing something, as in essayer une voiture (to try out a car) or essayer une veste (to try on a jacket).
Puis pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of essayer is /e.se.je/, which sounds approximately like “ay-say-yay.”
Essayer example sentences
Si tu n’essaies pas, tu ne réussiras jamais.
If you don’t try, you’ll never succeed.
J’essaie de chanter la chanson mais c’est très difficile.
I try to sing the song but it’s very difficult.
Je vais essayer de terminer mon projet avant demain.
I’ll try to finish my project before tomorrow.
J’essaie les nouveaux skis avant de les acheter.
I try the new skis before buying them.
Nous allons essayer le nouveau restaurant ce soir.
We are going to try the new restaurant tonight.
Make real progress with your French!
À Moi Paris combines expert teaching with natural audio to help you understand spoken French better, build confidence, and move closer to your fluency goals.
👉 Explore À Moi Paris »
👉 Read my review »
If you purchase the course, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- avoir du mal à — to have difficulty doing
- tenter — to attempt, to try
- faire un essai — to give something a try
- faire de son mieux — to do one’s best
- réussir — to succeed
- échouer — to fail
- prendre un risque — to take a risk
🪶 Word origin
The French verb essayer is related to the noun essai (try, attempt), which comes from the Latin verb exigere (to judge, examine, weigh) and noun exagium (weight, balance).
🚀 Continue learning on FrenchLearner!
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French vocabulary lists »
👉 French grammar lessons »
