Meaning
To engage in the activity of swimming.
Cultural Background
Swimming is a mandatory part of the national school curriculum. Students must pass a 'Savoir-Nager' test. While the phrase is the same, Quebecers might also use 'baignade' more frequently for leisure swimming. Swim caps (bonnets de bain) are almost always mandatory in public pools for hygiene. Public pools in Belgium often have similar strict rules to France regarding swimwear.
The 'De' Rule
Always remember to change 'de la' to 'de' when you say you DON'T swim: 'Je ne fais pas de natation.'
Gender Matters
Never say 'du natation'. It's always feminine: 'de la natation'.
Meaning
To engage in the activity of swimming.
The 'De' Rule
Always remember to change 'de la' to 'de' when you say you DON'T swim: 'Je ne fais pas de natation.'
Gender Matters
Never say 'du natation'. It's always feminine: 'de la natation'.
Sound like a local
If you're going to the pool to work out, say 'Je vais faire des longueurs'. It sounds very natural.
Swim Caps
If you go to a public pool in France, bring a 'bonnet de bain'. You might not be allowed in without one!
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing partitive article.
Je fais _______ natation tous les matins.
'Natation' is feminine, so we use 'de la'.
Choose the correct negative form.
I don't go swimming.
In a negative sentence, 'de la' becomes 'de'.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of 'faire'.
— Qu'est-ce que vous _______ comme sport ? — Nous _______ de la natation.
The question is for 'vous' (faites) and the answer is for 'nous' (faisons).
Match the phrase to the context.
Which phrase would you use to tell a doctor about your exercise routine?
'Faire de la natation' is the appropriate neutral/formal term for exercise.
Match the French and English equivalents.
Match the pairs.
These are the standard translations for different tenses.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
5 exercisesJe fais _______ natation tous les matins.
'Natation' is feminine, so we use 'de la'.
I don't go swimming.
In a negative sentence, 'de la' becomes 'de'.
— Qu'est-ce que vous _______ comme sport ? — Nous _______ de la natation.
The question is for 'vous' (faites) and the answer is for 'nous' (faisons).
Which phrase would you use to tell a doctor about your exercise routine?
'Faire de la natation' is the appropriate neutral/formal term for exercise.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are the standard translations for different tenses.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, 'Je nage' is correct, but 'Je fais de la natation' is more common when talking about it as a hobby or sport.
Yes, it is always 'la natation'.
'Natation' is the sport/exercise. 'Baignade' is the act of swimming for fun or cooling off.
You can say 'Je suis bon en natation' or 'Je nage bien'.
No, you can use 'nager', but 'faire de la natation' is the standard collocation for the activity.
It's a lifeguard or a swimming instructor.
No, that is not used in French. Stick to 'natation'.
It's neutral. It's appropriate for almost any situation.
It's 'la piscine'.
French uses partitive articles for activities to show you are engaging in 'some' of that activity.
Related Phrases
nager
similarto swim
se baigner
similarto bathe/splash
faire des longueurs
specialized formto swim laps
plonger
builds onto dive
la natation synchronisée
specialized formsynchronized swimming
