French · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Duck" in French: canard

le canard

Say it: kah-NARmasculine · le canardnoun/ka.naʁ/

Duck in French is le canard. Plural les canards. In parks kids feed les canards; on menus magret de canard is a classic dish.

City park

Les enfants regardent le canard nager.
The kids watch the duck swim.
Practice French out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce canard

Say it

kah-NAR

/ka.naʁ/

kah-NAR. Soft k; clear final ar.

"Duck" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le canardthe duck

Default.

les canardsthe ducks

Plural.

canard laqué / magret de canardroast duck / duck breast

Food.

canefemale duck

Gendered.

How to use canard in real life

  1. 1City park

    Les enfants regardent le canard nager.

    The kids watch the duck swim.

    Sighting.

  2. 2Pond path

    Il y a des canards près du banc.

    There are ducks near the bench.

    Plural.

  3. 3Bistro menu

    Je prends le magret de canard.

    I'll have the duck breast.

    Food.

Mistakes English speakers make with canard

Incorrect: La canard est gris.

Correct: Le canard est gris.

Canard is masculine (female bird: cane).

Incorrect: Un duck dans l'étang.

Correct: Un canard dans l'étang.

Use canard.

Good to know

Canard is both the bird and a newspaper rumor (un canard). Food culture loves canard confit and magret. Feeding bread to park ducks is increasingly discouraged—check local signs.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Strolling by a lake

  1. ChatPal

    Regarde ce canard près des roseaux.

    Look at that duck by the reeds.

  2. You

    Il y a un autre canard juste derrière.

    There's another duck right behind.

  3. ChatPal

    Ils sont bruyants, ces canards.

    These ducks are noisy.

  4. You

    On avance un peu pour les photos.

    Let's move up a bit for photos.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Duck" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Duck" in French

How do you say duck?

Le canard.

What is a female duck?

Une cane.

What is duck breast on a menu?

Magret de canard.

How do you pronounce canard?

kah-NAR.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in French. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.