chauve-souris
/ʃov.su.ʁi/feminine
The English word 'bat' (referring to the flying mammal) 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. In French, the word is a feminine noun.
What does it mean word for word?
The term chauve-souris is a compound of chauve, meaning bald and souris, meaning mouse.
Which one should you use?
The form chauve-souris uses a hyphen, while chauvesouris is an accepted orthographic variant without the hyphen. Both refer to the same animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ʃov.su.ʁi/.
Did you know?
- The term chauve-souris may not have originally meant 'bald mouse', but instead evolved from a Vulgar Latin word meaning 'crow' or 'tawny owl'.
- In French, the word souris is used for both the mammal 'mouse' and the computer 'mouse'.
- In French folklore, the chauve-souris is often associated with the night and mystery, similar to the English 'bat', but the literal meaning 'bald mouse' removes some of the animal's intimidation.
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 an incident involving a chauve-souris bite.Tatoeba #5373429 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5373390 by Hybrid
- J'ai appris qu'il existe des chauves-souris dans cette région.I learned that there are bats in this region.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking at a wildlife book.
- LucasRegarde cette chauve-souris sur le dessin.Look at this bat in the drawing.
- LéaElle est toute petite, cette chauve-souris.This bat is very small.
- LucasOui, la chauve-souris est un animal nocturne.Yes, the bat is a nocturnal animal.
- LéaC'est fascinant d'observer une chauve-souris.It is fascinating to observe a bat.
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.
