ancre
/ɑ̃kʁ/feminine
The English phrase 'anchor' is translated to French as ancre.
ancre is a feminine noun referring to a tool used to moor a vessel to the sea bottom. In technical or specialized contexts, the term Point d'ancrage is used for 'anchoring point'. Additionally, Mouillage refers to the act of anchoring a vessel and can be used in both maritime and metaphorical senses.
Meaning: tool to moor a vessel into sea bottom (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃kʁ/
Did you know?
- While ancre refers to the boat tool, the word for 'ink' is spelled encre, creating a near-identical pair of homophones in spoken French.
- French sailors historically used the term le fer ('the iron') as a colloquial shorthand for l'ancre.
- In French heraldry, l'ancre often symbolizes hope, stability and the virtue of prudence.
Examples in context
- Ce navire est doté d'un treuil pour lever l'ancre.This ship is outfitted with a windlass to heave up the anchor.This sentence is useful for describing a ship equipped with a windlass to lift the ancre.Tatoeba #3487301 by sacredceltic, translation #3476703 by Hybrid
- Jette l'ancre !Drop the anchor!This sentence is a command to drop the ancre.Tatoeba #973752 by U2FS, translation #1987380 by _undertoad
- Levez l'ancre !Hoist the anchor!This sentence is a command to hoist the ancre.Tatoeba #11236288 by lbdx, translation #10143624 by ddnktr
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are on a small boat near the shore.
- LéaL'ancre est trop petite pour ce bateau.The anchor is too small for this boat.
- HugoJe vais chercher une ancre plus grande.I will look for a larger anchor.
- LéaVérifie si l'ancre est bien fixée.Check if the anchor is well attached.
- HugoOui, l'ancre est déjà au fond.Yes, the anchor is already at the bottom.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anchor” translations and entries ancre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
