le marcher

Meaning (in English)

Marcher is a very common French verb with several main meanings:

1. To walk / to go on foot

   • Je marche jusqu’à l’école. → “I walk to school.”

2. To work / to function (for a machine, system, plan, etc.)

   • Ça marche. → “It works.” / “It’s working.” / “OK, that’s fine.”

3. To go well / to be successful

   • Son entreprise marche bien. → “His/Her business is doing well.”

4. To “fall for it” / to be taken in (informal)

   • Il a marché à la blague. → “He fell for the joke.”

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Parts and related forms

• Base: march- (linked to movement/stepping; also seen in marche = “walking,” “step,” or “the functioning” of something)
• Infinitive ending: -er (regular -er verb)
• Noun form: la marche (walking; a step; operation/functioning)

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French synonyms (depending on meaning)

1) To walk

• se promener (to stroll)
• aller à pied (to go on foot)
• avancer (to move forward)

2) To work / function

• fonctionner (to function)
• tourner (to run, for a machine)
• opérer (to operate, more formal/technical)

3) To go well / succeed

• bien aller (to be going well)
• réussir (to succeed)
• prospérer (to prosper)

4) To fall for it

• se laisser prendre (to let oneself be tricked)
• se faire avoir (to get fooled, informal)

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French antonyms (depending on meaning)

1) To walk

• s’arrêter (to stop)
• rester immobile (to stay still)

2) To work / function

• tomber en panne (to break down)
• ne pas fonctionner (not to function)

3) To go well / succeed

• échouer (to fail)
• aller mal (to be going badly)