French · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Rabbit" in French: lapin

le lapin

Say it: la-PEHNmasculine · le lapinnoun/la.pɛ̃/

Rabbit in French is le lapin, masculine. Un lapin nain is a dwarf pet rabbit. On menus, lapin means rabbit meat. Poser un lapin means to stand someone up.

Pet store

Les enfants veulent un lapin nain.
The kids want a dwarf rabbit.
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How to pronounce lapin

Say it

la-PEHN

/la.pɛ̃/

Lapin is la-PEHN, nasal in. The a is clear, and final n is not a hard English n.

"Rabbit" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le lapinthe rabbit

Animal or meat.

un lapin naina dwarf rabbit

Pet shops.

poser un lapinto stand someone up

Idiom.

des lapinsrabbits

Plural.

How to use lapin in real life

  1. 1Pet store

    Les enfants veulent un lapin nain.

    The kids want a dwarf rabbit.

    Lapin nain.

  2. 2Stood up

    Il m'a posé un lapin hier soir.

    He stood me up last night.

    Idiom with lapin.

  3. 3Countryside

    Un lapin a traversé la route devant nous.

    A rabbit crossed the road in front of us.

    Wild rabbit sighting.

Mistakes English speakers make with lapin

Incorrect: La lapin est mignon.

Correct: Le lapin est mignon.

Lapin is masculine.

Incorrect: Un rabbit dans le jardin.

Correct: Un lapin dans le jardin.

Use lapin.

Good to know

Poser un lapin (literally to put down a rabbit) is the everyday idiom for standing someone up. Lapin also appears on traditional menus—context makes pet vs plate clear.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a pet

  1. ChatPal

    Chat, chien, ou lapin ?

    Cat, dog, or rabbit?

  2. You

    Un lapin. Moins bruyant pour l'appart.

    A rabbit. Quieter for the apartment.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. On regarde les lapins nains.

    Okay. Let's look at the dwarf rabbits.

  4. You

    Parfait.

    Perfect.

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"Rabbit" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Rabbit" in French

What is rabbit in French?

Le lapin (masculine).

What does poser un lapin mean?

To stand someone up.

What is a dwarf rabbit?

Un lapin nain.

How do you pronounce lapin?

La-PEHN (nasal in).

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