to dress
French learners often come across two verbs related to dressing: vêtir and s’habiller. At first glance, they may seem interchangeable, but they have distinct meanings, uses, and levels of formality. This article explains the difference between the two and provides clear examples to help you use them correctly.
Vêtir: to dress someone
The verb vêtir means “to dress” or “to clothe.” It is usually used transitively, meaning it takes a direct object. In other words, someone is dressing someone else. It is more common in literary, formal, or descriptive writing than in everyday conversation.
Examples:
- La mère vêt son enfant avec soin.
(The mother dresses her child carefully.) - Les soldats étaient vêtus d’uniformes impeccables.
(The soldiers were dressed in impeccable uniforms.) - Il est toujours bien vêtu.
(He is always well dressed.)
In modern spoken French, vêtir is relatively rare and has largely been replaced by habiller. However, it still appears in some expressions and formal contexts, as well as in related verbs like revêtir.
S’habiller: to get dressed
The verb s’habiller means “to get dressed.” It is a reflexive verb, which means that the subject is doing the action to themselves. This verb is extremely common in everyday French and is used in a wide range of contexts.
Examples:
- Je m’habille rapidement le matin.
(I get dressed quickly in the morning.) - Elle s’habille en rouge pour le dîner.
(She is dressing in red for dinner.) - Les enfants s’habillent tout seuls maintenant.
(The children dress themselves now.)
You can use s’habiller with prepositions to describe how someone dresses:
- s’habiller en noir – to dress in black
- s’habiller chaudement – to dress warmly
- s’habiller pour une fête – to dress for a party
Comparison of vêtir and s’habiller
| Feature | vêtir | s’habiller |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meaning | to dress someone | to get dressed oneself |
| Grammar | transitive | reflexive |
| Register | formal, literary | neutral, everyday |
| Frequency | uncommon in modern speech | very common |
| Typical subject | one person dressing another | person dressing themselves |
| Common expressions | être bien/mal vêtu | s’habiller en + colour/style/context |
Related verbs
Although vêtir and s’habiller are often compared, a more common alternative to vêtir is habiller, which also means “to dress (someone).”
Examples:
- Elle habille son bébé chaque matin.
(She dresses her baby every morning.) - Il a habillé les mannequins pour le défilé.
(He dressed the models for the fashion show.)
So, in practical use:
- Use habiller when someone is dressing someone else
- Use s’habiller when someone is dressing themselves
- Use vêtir only in more formal or literary contexts
Final note
In modern French, you will hear and use s’habiller far more often than vêtir. Unless you are reading literature, describing clothing in a poetic way, or learning set expressions like être bien vêtu, vêtir will remain secondary in everyday communication.
If you’re unsure which verb to use, s’habiller is almost always the safe and natural choice.
