Supporter or Soutenir? If you're travelling in France and want to support a good cause, a friend, or even your favourite bakery, you might be tempted to use the French verb supporter. After all, it looks like a perfect match.
Spoiler alert: it's not. In fact, supporter often means the exact opposite of what you’d expect — something closer to putting up with than cheering on.
Let’s dive into this classic false friend, and help you avoid sounding like you “barely tolerate” your loved ones.
False Friend Alert: “Supporter” ≠ “To support”
In English, to support is one of those warm, generous verbs: you support your team, your family, your beliefs. It always sounds noble or helpful.
In French, though? The verb supporter usually means something like to endure, to bear, or to stand — and often with a touch of suffering.
❌ Je supporte ma famille financièrement
(French people will think you barely tolerate them.)
✅ Je soutiens ma famille financièrement
✔️ Correct way to say “I support my family financially”.
Use soutenir when you want to help or encourage someone
If you’re trying to say you support a person, an idea, or a good cause, soutenir is your go-to verb.
Elle soutient les artistes locaux → She supports local artists
Ils soutiennent une ONG humanitaire → They support a humanitarian NGO
Il m’a soutenu pendant une période difficile → He supported me during a hard time
📝 Soutenir is kind, emotional, and active. It fits most contexts where “to support” in English implies encouragement, help, or loyalty.
Supporter is about enduring… not supporting
Here’s where it gets tricky. In most everyday French, supporter doesn’t mean “to support” at all — it means to put up with, to bear, or to stand (as in I can’t stand this noise).
Examples:
Je ne supporte pas la chaleur → I can’t stand the heat
Elle ne supporte pas les longs trajets en voiture → She can’t handle long car rides
Tu pourrais au moins supporter ton beau-frère pendant une soirée ! → You could at least tolerate your brother-in-law for one evening!
So if you say:
Je supporte mon mari
You’re not saying “I support my husband”…
You’re saying “I put up with my husband.” 😬
Exception: Sport fans can “supporter” their team!
There’s one safe zone for supporter: football (soccer), rugby, or any other competitive sport.
Je supporte le PSG → I support PSG
Ils supportent les Bleus → They support the French national team
Just like in English, French fans “support” their team. This is the only context where supporter = to support without raising eyebrows.
🎯 Outside of sports, though, don’t use supporter unless you mean “to endure.”
For travellers: How to say “support” in French, the safe way
Here’s a quick reference chart:
Supporter or Soutenir: in short
Use soutenir when you mean:
to help
to encourage
to stand by
to defend an idea
Use supporter when you mean:
to endure
to tolerate
to bear something unpleasant
And remember the golden rule:
✅ Je soutiens les petits commerces locaux
❌ Je supporte les petits commerces locaux (Sounds like you're barely tolerating them.)
Bonus phrase for your trip:
Je soutiens les petits producteurs, même si je ne supporte pas la chaleur du marché !
I support local producers, even if I can’t stand the heat at the market!
What about you?
Have you ever mixed up soutenir and supporter while speaking French? Or spotted funny uses of support in signage or conversation? Let me know — I love hearing your travel language stories 🇫🇷✈️
