French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Thunder" in French: tonnerre
le tonnerre
Thunder in French is le tonnerre, masculine. J'ai entendu le tonnerre means I heard thunder. A storm is un orage; thunder is the sound.
Night storm
Le tonnerre a réveillé tout le monde.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce tonnerre
Say it
tuh-NAIR
/tɔ.nɛʁ/
Tonnerre: tuh-NAIR. Double n; final e is light. Stress toward NAIR.
"Thunder" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le tonnerre | thunder The rumble/sound. | The rumble/sound. |
| un coup de tonnerre | a clap of thunder Sudden boom. | Sudden boom. |
| tonnerre lointain | distant thunder Weather description. | Weather description. |
| orage avec tonnerre | thunderstorm Storm + thunder. | Storm + thunder. |
How to use tonnerre in real life
- 1Night storm
Le tonnerre a réveillé tout le monde.
The thunder woke everyone up.
Subject le tonnerre.
- 2Hiking decision
S'il y a du tonnerre, on redescend.
If there's thunder, we head back down.
Du tonnerre.
- 3Kids under a blanket
N'aie pas peur du tonnerre, ça passe.
Don't be afraid of the thunder—it passes.
Fear of the sound.
Mistakes English speakers make with tonnerre
Incorrect: La tonnerre est forte.
Correct: Le tonnerre est fort.
Tonnerre is masculine.
Incorrect: J'entends la foudre gronder.
Correct: J'entends le tonnerre.
Foudre is lightning strike; tonnerre is thunder.
Good to know
Weather alerts talk orage, grêle, and sometimes tonnerre. People count seconds between éclair and tonnerre to guess distance. Coup de tonnerre also means a shocking surprise in figurative speech.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Closing the windows before a storm
ChatPal
Tu as entendu le tonnerre ?
Did you hear the thunder?
You
Oui, un gros coup de tonnerre vers la colline.
Yes—a big clap of thunder toward the hill.
ChatPal
On rentre le linge avant le prochain tonnerre.
Let's bring the laundry in before the next thunder.
You
Je m'en occupe.
I'll take care of it.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Thunder" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Thunder" in French
How do you say thunder in French?
Le tonnerre.
How do you say a clap of thunder?
Un coup de tonnerre.
Is thunder the same as lightning?
No—thunder is tonnerre; lightning is éclair / foudre.
How do you pronounce tonnerre?
tuh-NAIR.
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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