French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Butterfly" in French: papillon
le papillon
Butterfly in French is le papillon. Plural les papillons. In gardens kids chase les papillons; papillon also names a bow tie.
Garden
Un papillon s'est posé sur la fleur.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce papillon
Say it
pah-pee-YOHN
/pa.pi.jɔ̃/
pah-pee-YOHN. Soft p; nasal on at the end.
"Butterfly" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le papillon | the butterfly Default. | Default. |
| les papillons | the butterflies Plural. | Plural. |
| papillon de nuit | moth Night cousin. | Night cousin. |
| nœud papillon | bow tie Clothing. | Clothing. |
How to use papillon in real life
- 1Garden
Un papillon s'est posé sur la fleur.
A butterfly landed on the flower.
Sighting.
- 2Park picnic
Il y a des papillons autour des lavandes.
There are butterflies around the lavender.
Plural.
- 3Kids' craft
On dessine un grand papillon coloré.
We're drawing a big colorful butterfly.
Craft.
Mistakes English speakers make with papillon
Incorrect: La papillon est jaune.
Correct: Le papillon est jaune.
Papillon is masculine.
Incorrect: Un butterfly dans le jardin.
Correct: Un papillon dans le jardin.
Use papillon.
Good to know
Papillon is the garden insect and the bow-tie nœud papillon. Avoir des papillons dans le ventre is to have butterflies in your stomach—same image as English.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Photo walk in a garden
ChatPal
Tu vois le papillon bleu ?
Do you see the blue butterfly?
You
Oui, le papillon bouge trop vite.
Yes—the butterfly is moving too fast.
ChatPal
Reste tranquille, le papillon revient.
Stay still—the butterfly will come back.
You
J'ai la photo !
Got the photo!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Butterfly" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Butterfly" in French
How do you say butterfly?
Le papillon.
What is a moth?
Often un papillon de nuit.
What is a bow tie?
Un nœud papillon.
How do you pronounce papillon?
pah-pee-YOHN.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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