The English verb “to notice” has several possible translations in French. The right choice depends on the context and the nuance of meaning. Sometimes it means to perceive something with the senses, sometimes to realize or become aware, and sometimes to point out or remark.

Remarquer

The most common translation of “to notice” is remarquer, which means to perceive, observe or notice something.

Examples:

• J’ai remarqué qu’il était fatigué.
  I noticed that he was tired.
• Elle n’a pas remarqué la faute dans le texte.
  She did not notice the mistake in the text.
• Personne n’a remarqué son absence.
  Nobody noticed his absence.
• Remarques-tu le changement dans son attitude.
  Do you notice the change in his attitude.

S’apercevoir

Another common verb is s’apercevoir, which often means “to notice” in the sense of “to realize” or “to become aware.” It emphasizes the mental realization rather than the act of observing. If followed by a noun, the usual construction is “s’apercevoir de” and if followed by a verb, “s’apercevoir que.”

Examples:

• Je me suis aperçu que j’avais oublié mon portefeuille.
  I noticed that I had forgotten my wallet.
• Elle s’est aperçue de son erreur.
  She noticed her mistake.
• Il s’aperçoit qu’il s’est trompé.
  He notices that he made a mistake.

Constater

The verb constater is used in more formal or factual contexts. It means “to observe” or “to note” in the sense of recording an objective fact.

Examples:

• Le médecin a constaté une amélioration de son état.
  The doctor noticed an improvement in his condition.
• La police a constaté les dégâts.
  The police noticed the damage.
• Nous avons constaté une baisse des ventes.
  We noticed a drop in sales.

Voir and entendre

Sometimes “to notice” simply means to perceive with the senses, and in that case the simple verbs voir (to see) or entendre (to hear) can be used.

Examples:

• J’ai vu qu’il pleurait, je l’ai tout de suite remarqué.
  I saw that he was crying, I noticed right away.
• As-tu entendu ce bruit étrange.
  Did you notice that strange noise.

Faire attention à

In some contexts, “to notice” can mean “to pay attention to.” In French this is expressed with faire attention à.

Examples:

• Tu n’as pas fait attention à ce qu’il a dit.
  You didn’t notice what he said.
• Fais attention aux détails.
  Notice the details.

Noter

The verb noter is sometimes used to mean “to notice” in the sense of “to take note of.” It is often used in formal or professional contexts.

Examples:

• J’ai noté une différence entre les deux versions.
  I noticed a difference between the two versions.
• Veuillez noter que la réunion est annulée.
  Please notice that the meeting is cancelled.