aigu
/ɛ.ɡy/
aigu is the French word for high-pitched.
The term is used to describe a sound that is high-pitched.
Which one should you use?
When describing sound, aigu is the opposite of grave, which means low-pitched.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular is aigu, the feminine singular is aiguë, the masculine plural is aigus and the feminine plural is aiguës.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛ.ɡy/
Did you know?
- The Old French ancestor of aigu appears in the place name Montheu, which comes from the Latin Mons acutus meaning 'sharp mountain'.
- The French word for 'needle', aiguille, shares the same linguistic root as aigu because a needle is physically sharp.
- While aigu describes high-pitched sounds, it is also used in French to describe an 'acute' or 'sharp' physical pain.
Examples in context
- Le sifflet fait un son très aigu.The whistle makes a very high-pitched sound.
- Elle a une voix assez aiguë.She has a rather high-pitched voice.
- Ce bruit aigu me fait mal aux oreilles.This high-pitched noise hurts my ears.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about a new baby's voice.
- ChloéTu as entendu le bébé ?Did you hear the baby?
- LucasOui, il a un petit cri aigu.Yes, he has a little high-pitched cry.
- ChloéC'est presque douloureux pour les oreilles.It is almost painful for the ears.
- LucasC'est normal pour un nouveau-né.That is normal for a newborn.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry aigu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aigu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
