French · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Fox" in French: renard

le renard

Say it: ruh-NARmasculine · le renardnoun/ʁə.naʁ/

Fox in French is le renard. A female fox can be la renarde. You'll meet le Renard in fables and kids' stories as the clever animal.

Countryside walk

On a vu un renard près du champ.
We saw a fox near the field.
Practice French out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce renard

Say it

ruh-NAR

/ʁə.naʁ/

ruh-NAR. Soft r; clear final ar, no d release needed.

"Fox" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le renardthe fox

Default.

la renardethe female fox

Gendered.

un renardeaua fox cub

Young.

malin comme un renardclever as a fox

Idiom.

How to use renard in real life

  1. 1Countryside walk

    On a vu un renard près du champ.

    We saw a fox near the field.

    Wildlife sighting.

  2. 2Reading to a child

    Dans la fable, le renard trompe le corbeau.

    In the fable, the fox tricks the crow.

    Classic story.

  3. 3Farm talk

    Le renard a encore volé des poules.

    The fox stole chickens again.

    Rural complaint.

Mistakes English speakers make with renard

Incorrect: La renard est rousse.

Correct: Le renard est roux.

Renard is masculine; use le and roux.

Incorrect: Un fox dans le bois.

Correct: Un renard dans le bois.

Use renard, not the English word.

Good to know

La Fontaine's Le Corbeau et le Renard is school canon—renard means clever and a bit sly. In the countryside, le renard is also the chicken thief everyone grumbles about.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Spotting wildlife at dusk

  1. ChatPal

    Tu as vu ça ? Un renard vient de passer.

    Did you see that? A fox just went by.

  2. You

    Oui, le renard était tout roux.

    Yes, the fox was all red.

  3. ChatPal

    Ils sont discrets le soir. Beau renard, hein ?

    They're discreet at night. Nice fox, huh?

  4. You

    Superbe. Je prends une photo floue.

    Gorgeous. I'm taking a blurry 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

"Fox" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Fox" in French

How do you say fox in French?

Le renard.

Is there a feminine form?

Yes: la renarde.

What is the fox-and-crow fable?

Le Corbeau et le Renard by La Fontaine.

How do you pronounce renard?

ruh-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.