Translating “to worry” into French

The English verb “to worry” translates into French in several ways, depending on the context and the exact meaning you want to convey. The most common translations are s’inquiéter, s’en faire, and se faire du souci, all of which express worry but with different levels of formality. Other choices include se tracasser and se préoccuper.

The main verbs

S’inquiéter

S’inquiéter is the most formal and widely used French verb for “to worry.” It is a reflexive verb, which means it is always used with the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nous, vous, or se. The verb expresses a sense of unease or concern, and it is typically followed by the preposition de or pour when an object follows.

Je m’inquiète de sa santé. “I worry about his health.”

Elle s’inquiète pour son examen. “She worries about her exam.”

Nous nous inquiétons des changements. “We worry about the changes.”

Ils s’inquiètent de ne pas arriver à l’heure. “They worry about not arriving on time.”

Tu t’inquiètes trop. “You worry too much.”

When used without an object, s’inquiéter simply means “to worry” or “to be worried.”

Ne t’inquiète pas. “Don’t worry.”

Pourquoi tu t’inquiètes? “Why are you worrying?”

The past tense of s’inquiéter uses the auxiliary verb être: Je me suis inquiété. “I worried.” The conditional form is Je m’inquièterais. “I would worry.”

S’en faire

S’en faire is one of the most casual and frequently used ways to express worry in everyday French. It literally means “to make oneself [of it]” but functions as a direct synonym for “to worry.” It is common in spoken French and is slightly more informal than se faire du souci.

Ne t’en fais pas. “Don’t worry.”

Je m’en fais pour lui. “I’m worried about him.”

On s’en fait trop. “We worry too much.”

Elle s’en fait depuis ce matin. “She’s been worrying since this morning.”

Pourquoi tu t’en fais? “Why are you worrying?”

S’en faire can be used with or without an object. When followed by pour or de, it specifies what you are worrying about. When used alone, it simply means “to worry.” The past tense is Je m’en suis fait. “I worried.” The conditional is Je m’en ferais. “I would worry.” Among younger speakers and in casual conversation, s’en faire is probably the most frequently heard expression for everyday worry.

Se faire du souci

Se faire du souci is an informal and colloquial way to express worry. It translates literally as “to make oneself worry” or “to give oneself worry,” and it conveys a sense of fretting or being bothered about something.

Elle se fait du souci pour sa mère. “She worries about her mother.”

On se fait du souci à cause du travail. “We worry because of work.”

Je me fais du souci depuis hier. “I’ve been worrying since yesterday.”

Pourquoi tu te fais du souci? “Why are you worrying?”

The verb faire is conjugated according to the subject, so the forms change. In the past tense, you use Je me suis fait du souci. “I worried.” This phrase is less formal than s’inquiéter and is common in everyday speech.

Se tracasser

Se tracasser means to worry, fret, or bother oneself. It carries a sense of being unnecessarily preoccupied or agitated about something. Like s’inquiéter, it is a reflexive verb.

Ne te tracasse pas avec ça. “Don’t worry about that.”

Il se tracasse trop. “He worries too much.”

Elle se tracasse pour des petites choses. “She frets over small things.”

Ils se tracassent constamment. “They constantly worry.”

The tone of se tracasser is often slightly more negative than s’inquiéter, as it implies unnecessary or excessive worrying. In the past tense, Je me suis tracassé. “I worried.”

Se préoccuper

Se préoccuper means to be concerned or preoccupied about something. It is slightly more formal than s’inquiéter and often refers to a broader or more sustained concern rather than acute worry.

Je me préoccupe de son avenir. “I’m concerned about his future.”

Elle se préoccupe des enjeux sociaux. “She is concerned about social issues.”

Nous nous préoccupons de la situation. “We are concerned about the situation.”

This verb is followed by de when an object follows. The past tense is Je me suis préoccupé. “I was concerned.”

Literal and figurative meanings

All of these verbs are primarily used in their literal sense to express actual worry or concern. However, they can also be used figuratively in certain contexts.

S’inquiéter can be used figuratively to mean “to care about” or “to be invested in,” though this usage is less common.

S’en faire and se faire du souci in the figurative sense can suggest needless worry or exaggerated concern, particularly when the context implies the worry is unfounded.

Se tracasser often implies being bothered by something trivial. In some contexts, it can mean to scheme or plot, though this meaning is quite rare in modern French.

Se préoccuper is the most likely to be used figuratively, especially in the sense of “to pay attention to” or “to give thought to” beyond simple worry.

Je ne me préoccupe pas de son opinion. “I don’t care about his opinion.”

Synonyms and related expressions

Être inquiet

Être inquiet is an adjective phrase meaning “to be worried” or “to be anxious.” It is often used to describe a state of mind rather than an action.

Je suis inquiet. “I am worried.”

Elle est inquiète pour lui. “She is worried about him.”

Avoir peur

Avoir peur means “to be afraid” or “to fear.” While this is not exactly the same as worry, it is closely related and can sometimes be used in similar contexts, particularly when the worry involves fear of something happening.

J’ai peur de l’échec. “I’m afraid of failure.”

S’angoisser

S’angoisser means “to feel anguish” or “to be deeply anxious.” It suggests a more intense level of worry than s’inquiéter and conveys a sense of distress or dread.

Il s’angoisse à l’idée du voyage. “He feels anxious about the idea of the trip.”

Se soucier

Se soucier means “to care” or “to be concerned.” In negative contexts, it often means “not to care.”

Je ne me soucie pas de ce qu’il dit. “I don’t care what he says.”

Elle se soucie de son bien-être. “She cares about his well-being.”

Choosing the right verb

The choice between these verbs depends on the level of formality and the intensity of the worry you want to convey.

For formal writing or serious contexts, s’inquiéter or se préoccuper are the best choices. S’inquiéter suggests moderate worry, while se préoccuper conveys a more sustained or broader concern.

For casual or everyday speech, s’en faire and se faire du souci are both natural and commonly used. S’en faire is slightly more direct and is very frequent in modern conversation. Both are less formal than s’inquiéter and sound more conversational.

Se tracasser is used when the worry is somewhat excessive, unnecessary, or focused on minor details. It often carries a slightly disapproving tone.

For intense worry or anxiety, s’angoisser is stronger than the others.

Summary

The most common French equivalents of “to worry” are s’inquiéter, s’en faire, se faire du souci, se tracasser, and se préoccuper. S’inquiéter is the most formal and widely used. S’en faire and se faire du souci are casual and colloquial, with s’en faire being extremely common in everyday speech. Se tracasser suggests fretting over small things. Se préoccuper refers to a broader or more sustained concern. The choice depends on the context, the formality level, and the intensity of the worry.