Why do I need to know partager?

Because you may not be familiar with the other ways you can use this French verb.

What does it mean?

Partager – roughly pronounced par-tah-jay – is the French verb for ‘to share’, and probably one of the -ER verbs you first learned to conjugate in French.

As you would expect, you’ll most commonly hear the word partager when discussing sharing a dessert or teaching manners to small children. 

You might also use partager when discussing ‘sharing an experience’ – nous avons partagé une belle soirée ensemble (we shared a beautiful evening together).

But there are a few other contexts that you might hear this term, such as when you need to divide something. For example, if you want to split the bill with someone at a restaurant, you can tell the server on va partager. If you want an alternative, you can also say on va diviser par deux (we will divide it by two).

It can also be used when discussing one’s opinions or thoughts on a matter. If you saw a movie with your French friend, you might ask them what they thought after walking out of the theatre. In response, they might say Je ne sais pas. Je suis partagé, which means ‘I don’t know. I’m torn’.

In this context, partager basically means to be undecided or ‘in two minds’ about something. 

Use it like this

Je lui ai dit que je ne savais pas pour qui j’allais voter. Je suis partagé. – I told him I don’t know who I’m going to vote for. I’m torn.

Nous partagerons la facture, s’il vous plaît. – We will split the bill, please.

Il a dit au bambin de partager ses jouets avec sa sœur. – He told the toddler to share his toys with his sister.