plonger

to dive, to plunge

verb plohn-ZHAY Less Common

Usage Note

Plonger is used literally for diving into water (plonger dans la piscine) and figuratively for immersing oneself in something (plonger dans un livre — to plunge into a book). A diver is a plongeur, also the informal word for a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen. The related noun plongée means 'diving' as an activity (scuba diving = plongée sous-marine).

Examples

"Il a plongé dans l'eau froide."

Natural Translation

He dived into the cold water.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Silent Letters: The CaReFuL Rule

Final consonants in French are silent by default — except C, R, F, L. The CaReFuL rule, the silent -e, the plural-s trap, and liaison, explained simply.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 70, 80, 90 Made Simple

French numbers 70, 80, 90 are soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix. Learn three build formulas to make any number 70-99 on the fly.

June 3, 2026 5 min read