French · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Elephant" in French: éléphant

l'éléphant

Say it: lay-lay-FAHNmasculine · l'éléphantnoun/l‿e.le.fɑ̃/

Elephant in French is l'éléphant, masculine. A baby elephant is un éléphanteau. At the zoo: Regarde l'éléphant !

Zoo visit

L'éléphant asperge le public avec sa trompe.
The elephant sprays the crowd with its trunk.
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How to pronounce éléphant

Say it

lay-lay-FAHN

/l‿e.le.fɑ̃/

lay-lay-FAHN. Three syllables, nasal final ant; elision on l'.

"Elephant" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
l'éléphantthe elephant

Default.

un éléphantan elephant

Indefinite.

un éléphanteaua baby elephant

Young animal.

des éléphantselephants

Plural.

How to use éléphant in real life

  1. 1Zoo visit

    L'éléphant asperge le public avec sa trompe.

    The elephant sprays the crowd with its trunk.

    L'éléphant with elision.

  2. 2Documentary

    Un éléphant peut marcher des kilomètres par jour.

    An elephant can walk kilometers a day.

    Un éléphant.

  3. 3Kids pointing

    Maman, regarde cet éléphant gris !

    Mom, look at that gray elephant!

    Cet before vowel sound.

Mistakes English speakers make with éléphant

Incorrect: Le éléphant.

Correct: L'éléphant.

Elide: l'éléphant.

Incorrect: La éléphant.

Correct: L'éléphant.

Éléphant is masculine.

Good to know

French children learn l'éléphant early in alphabet books (E like éléphant). Zoo signs and comics keep the accent: éléphant, not elephant.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

At the zoo near the elephant yard

  1. ChatPal

    Tu préfères l'éléphant ou les girafes ?

    Do you prefer the elephant or the giraffes?

  2. You

    L'éléphant, clairement.

    The elephant, clearly.

  3. ChatPal

    Il y a aussi un éléphanteau derrière.

    There's also a baby elephant behind.

  4. You

    Attends, je prends une photo.

    Wait, I'll take a 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

"Elephant" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Elephant" in French

How do you say elephant in French?

L'éléphant.

Is it masculine?

Yes.

What is a baby elephant called?

Un éléphanteau.

How do you pronounce it?

lay-lay-FAHN.

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

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