castor
/kas.tɔʁ/masculine
The English word "beaver" is translated into French as castor. Wiktionary also lists bièvre.
Meaning: semiaquatic rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| castor | /kas.tɔʁ/ | masculine |
| bièvre | /bjɛvʁ/ | archaic, masculine |
castor refers to the semiaquatic rodent.
Which one should you use?
castor is the standard term, whereas bièvre is an archaic form.
How does it change in a sentence?
castor is a masculine noun. Its plural form is castors.
How do you pronounce it?
/kas.tɔʁ/
Did you know?
- In French, the animal castor shares its name with castoréum, a chemical compound used in perfumes that is secreted by the animal.
- The name for the animal, castor, is identical to the name of the constellation Castor in astronomy.
- The archaic term bièvre shares a common ancestor with the English word 'beaver', both coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰébʰrus.
Examples in context
- Le castor est l’animal national au Canada.The beaver is the national animal of Canada.This sentence is useful for identifying the beaver as the national animal of Canada.Tatoeba #13163398 by Rovo, translation #13163167 by rul
- Il y a sur ce lac plusieurs barrages de castor.There are many beaver dams in this lake.This sentence is useful for mentioning beaver dams on a lake.Tatoeba #1062893 by Scott, translation #11690849 by tieguy
- Une fuite de pétrole a été endiguée par un barrage de castors en Alberta.An oil leak was contained by a beaver dam in Alberta.This sentence is useful for describing a situation involving a beaver dam in Alberta.Tatoeba #875531 by Scott, translation #875529 by Scott
- Le castor construit un barrage dans la rivière.The beaver is building a dam in the river.
- J'ai vu un castor fou lors de ma promenade en forêt.I saw a crazy beaver during my forest walk.
- Les castors européens sont réintroduits dans cette région.European beavers are being reintroduced in this area.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are walking by a river in the forest.
- ManonRegarde Hugo, je crois voir un castor !Look Hugo, I think I see a beaver!
- HugoOù ? Je ne vois rien du tout.Where? I don't see anything at all.
- ManonIl vient de plonger. C'est un gros castor.It just dove. It's a big beaver.
- HugoC'est impressionnant, il nage très vite.That's impressive, it swims very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beaver” translations and entries castor, bièvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bièvre, castor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
