How do you say “Hit the books” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is bûcher, which literally means “to study hard”. English speakers use hit the books to mean to begin studying seriously. An informal French match for studying hard. As a verb, it describes the work rather than a literal pile of wood. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
bûcher
/by.ʃe/
- Literal meaning
- “to study hard”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Je dois bûcher” is a conversational way to say you have studying to do. You can name the subject: “bûcher les maths”.
“Réviser” is a more neutral choice when you are reviewing material for an exam. “Bûcher” adds a sense of hard work.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I can't come to the cinema; I need to hit the books tonight.
French
Je ne peux pas venir au cinéma ; je dois bûcher ce soir.
English
She hit the books every evening before her final exam.
French
Elle bûchait tous les soirs avant son examen final.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04