monter

ByFast French

The French verb monter is a versatile verb with several meanings, primarily “to climb,” “to go up,” or “to mount.” It can also mean “to assemble,” “to set up,” or “to take up” depending on the context. Additionally, its conjugation in the passé composé varies between être and avoir, which changes its meaning slightly.

Main meanings of monter

1. To climb, to go up (literal and figurative)

This is the most common meaning, referring to physical ascent or progression.

Examples:

  • Il monte l’escalier rapidement. (He climbs the stairs quickly.)
  • Les prix montent chaque année. (Prices go up every year.)
  • Elle monte dans sa chambre. (She goes up to her room.)

2. To mount, to get on (a vehicle or animal)

Used when boarding transportation or riding an animal.

Examples:

  • Nous montons dans le train. (We get on the train.)
  • Il monte à cheval tous les weekends. (He rides a horse every weekend.)

3. To assemble, to set up

When referring to putting something together, such as furniture or machinery.

Examples:

  • Ils montent une étagère. (They are assembling a shelf.)
  • Elle monte un projet ambitieux. (She is setting up an ambitious project.)

4. To take up, to bring up (carrying something upward)

Used when moving something to a higher place.

Examples:

  • Je monte les valises au grenier. (I take the suitcases up to the attic.)
  • Peux-tu monter le dîner ? (Can you bring up dinner?)

Passé composé: être vs avoir

The choice of auxiliary verb (être or avoir) in the passé composé changes the meaning of monter:

With être (intransitive: no direct object)

Used when the subject is moving upward on its own (no object being carried).

Examples:

  • Elle est montée au deuxième étage. (She went up to the second floor.)
  • Nous sommes montés dans le bus. (We got on the bus.)

With avoir (transitive: has a direct object)

Used when the subject is carrying something upward or assembling something.

Examples:

  • J’ai monté les courses à l’appartement. (I took the groceries up to the apartment.)
  • Il a monté son vélo hier. (He assembled his bike yesterday.)

Common expressions with monter

  • Monter la garde (to stand guard)
  • Les soldats montent la garde. (The soldiers stand guard.)
  • Monter sur ses grands chevaux (to get on one’s high horse)
  • Il monte sur ses grands chevaux dès qu’on le critique. (He gets defensive as soon as he’s criticized.)
  • Monter un coup (to set up a scheme)
  • Ils ont monté un coup pour le piéger. (They set up a scheme to trap him.)

Conjugation highlights

Present tense

  • Je monte (I climb)
  • Tu montes (You climb)
  • Il/elle monte (He/she climbs)
  • Nous montons (We climb)
  • Vous montez (You climb)
  • Ils/elles montent (They climb)

Passé composé (with être)

  • Je suis monté(e) (I went up)
  • Tu es monté(e) (You went up)
  • Il est monté (He went up)
  • Elle est montée (She went up)

Passé composé (with avoir)

  • J’ai monté (I took up)
  • Tu as monté (You took up)
  • Il a monté (He assembled)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • ça va

    ByFast French

    The French phrase ça va is one of the most common groups of words in the language. It comes from the verb aller, “to go”. At its root, it means “that goes” or “that is going”. Over time it grew far beyond that simple idea. French speakers use ça va for health, feelings, mood, daily…

  • avoir envie de

    ByFast French

    The French phrase avoir envie de means “to want” or “to feel like.” It is common in everyday speech. You use it to express a wish, a need, or a longing for something. Literal meaning The word envie alone means “envy.” But in avoir envie de, the sense shifts. Literally, it breaks down as “to…

  • -oir verbs as nouns

    ByFast French

    A small group of French verbs ending in -oir can also stand alone as masculine nouns, usually preceded by le or l’. This happens because French allows an infinitive to be treated as a thing in its own right, much like English sometimes turns “to know” into “the knowing” in older or more formal writing….

  • tache, tâche

    ByFast French

    The French nouns “tache” and “tâche”, as well as the verbs “tacher” and “tâcher” have totally different meanings. The only spelling difference is the presence or absence of a single accent. “Tache” (without circumflex) and “tacher” “Tache” (noun) “Tacher” (verb) Etymology of “tache” and “tacher” “Tâche” (with circumflex) and “tâcher” “Tâche” (noun) “Tâcher” (verb) Etymology…

  • là vs y

    ByFast French

    In French, the two words that mean “there” (“là” and “y”) are often confused by language learners, but they serve distinct grammatical functions and have different uses in sentences. Là (there) “Là” is primarily an adverb of place meaning “there” or “here.” It indicates a specific location and can be used to point out or…

  • aller

    ByFast French

    In French, one of the most important verbs is “aller,” which means “to go.” Let’s look at how it works in different situations. Present Tense: In the present tense, “aller” (to go) is conjugated as follows: Example: Je vais au cinéma ce soir. (I am going to the cinema tonight.) Imperfect Tense: When describing ongoing…