chauve-souris
/ʃov.su.ʁi/feminine
The English word 'bat' is translated into French as chauve-souris. Wiktionary also lists chauvesouris.
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chauve-souris | /ʃov.su.ʁi/ | feminine |
| chauvesouris | feminine |
The term refers to the small flying mammal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase chauve-souris literally translates to 'bald mouse', from chauve meaning bald and souris meaning mouse.
Which one should you use?
The hyphenated form chauve-souris is the standard singular form, whereas the unhyphenated version chauvesouris is a common variant used to denote the plural 'bats'.
How does it change in a sentence?
This is a feminine noun, so it must be preceded by feminine articles such as une or la.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃov.su.ʁi/
Did you know?
- While it currently means 'bald mouse', the 'bald' part of chauve-souris may have originally come from a Vulgar Latin word for 'crow' or 'tawny owl'.
- The word souris used in the name is the exact same word used for a computer 'mouse'.
- The term for bat in French is a feminine noun, meaning that even if you are referring to a male animal, you must still use the feminine article la.
Examples in context
- S'agit-il d'une chauve-souris ?Is that a bat?This sentence is useful for asking if an animal is a chauve-souris.Tatoeba #4548543 by sacredceltic, translation #67124 by CK
- Il y a une chauve-souris dans la maison.There's a bat in the house.This sentence is useful for stating there is a chauve-souris inside a building.Tatoeba #13479985 by Rovo, translation #13466255 by rul
- Betty a été mordue par une chauve-souris.Betty was bitten by a bat.This sentence is useful for describing someone being bitten by a chauve-souris.Tatoeba #5373429 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5373390 by Hybrid
- La chauve-souris est un mammifère volant.The bat is a flying mammal.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are walking in a forest at dusk.
- LucasRegarde cette chauve-souris là-haut !Look at that bat up there!
- ManonOh, elle est très rapide.Oh, it is very fast.
- LucasC'est une chauve-souris impressionnante.It is an impressive bat.
- ManonOui, elle s'envole vers les arbres.Yes, it is flying toward the trees.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations and entries chauve-souris, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chauve-souris, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
