French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Dog" in French: chien
le chien
Dog in French is le chien, said in one syllable: shyan. It is masculine, so you say mon chien or un petit chien. A female dog is une chienne, and a puppy is un chiot.
At the park
Il est trop mignon, ton chien ! Il s'appelle comment ?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce chien
Say it
shyan
/ʃjɛ̃/
The ch in French sounds like the English "sh", never like the ch in "chair". The ending -ien is a nasal vowel, a bit like "yan" said through the nose, with no n sound. In la chienne the n comes back: shyen.
"Dog" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le chien | dog The default word, and for a male dog. | The default word, and for a male dog. |
| la chienne | female dog For a female dog. As an insult for a person it is very rude. | For a female dog. As an insult for a person it is very rude. |
| le chiot | puppy A young dog, for both males and females. | A young dog, for both males and females. |
| le toutou | doggy Child talk and affectionate speech. | Child talk and affectionate speech. |
| Attention au chien | Beware of the dog The sign you will see on gates and fences. | The sign you will see on gates and fences. |
How to use chien in real life
- 1At the park
Il est trop mignon, ton chien ! Il s'appelle comment ?
Your dog is so cute! What's his name?
Trop often means "so" or "really" in casual speech, not "too".
- 2Booking a holiday rental
Est-ce que les chiens sont acceptés dans le logement ?
Are dogs allowed in the accommodation?
Look for animaux acceptés (pets allowed) on booking websites.
- 3Talking about pets
On a un chat, mais pas de chien.
We have a cat, but no dog.
After pas, un becomes de: pas de chien.
Mistakes English speakers make with chien
Incorrect: J'ai une chien noir.
Correct: J'ai un chien noir.
Chien is masculine, so use un and le. If the dog is female, you can say j'ai une chienne noire.
Incorrect: J'adore chiens.
Correct: J'adore les chiens.
When you talk about dogs in general, French needs les. English drops the article here, but French doesn't.
Good to know
Dogs are a common sight in France, and in many cafés and restaurants they sit quietly under their owner's table. French dogs even sound different: they go ouaf ouaf, not woof woof. The word also appears in everyday phrases, like un temps de chien for truly awful weather.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting a dog owner in a park in Nice
ChatPal
Bonjour ! Attention, mon chien adore dire bonjour aux gens.
Hello! Careful, my dog loves saying hello to people.
You
Pas de problème, j'adore les chiens ! Il a quel âge ?
No problem, I love dogs! How old is he?
ChatPal
Il a trois ans. C'est un chien très calme, sauf au parc !
He's three. He's a very calm dog, except at the park!
You
Il est magnifique. Vous venez souvent ici ?
He's gorgeous. Do you come here often?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Dog" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Dog" in French
Is chien masculine or feminine?
Chien is masculine: le chien, un chien. For a female dog, French uses la chienne, and adjectives follow: une chienne adorable, un chien adorable.
How do you pronounce chien?
Say it as one syllable, shyan, with the vowel through your nose and no n at the end. The ch is always "sh" in French, as in chat (cat) and chocolat.
How do you say puppy in French?
A puppy is un chiot (shyoh). The t is silent. It is masculine even for a female puppy.
What does un temps de chien mean?
It means terrible weather, like cold wind and rain all day: il fait un temps de chien. Another common phrase is avoir un mal de chien, which means to have a really hard time.
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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