How to Say "Birdhouse" in French

nichoir

/ni.ʃwaʁ/masculine

The English phrase birdhouse is nichoir in French.

nichoir is a masculine noun used to describe a small house designed for birds to live in.

Meaning: small house for birds (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is derived from the verb nicher, meaning 'to nest' and the suffix -oir, which denotes a tool or a place for a specific action.

In Quebec, Canada, the term cabane à oiseaux is used to refer to a birdhouse.

The plural form is created by adding an 's' to the end, resulting in nichoirs.

The word is pronounced /ni.ʃwaʁ/ and has two syllables.

French speakers distinguish between a nichoir and a mangeoire. While both are wooden boxes put in gardens, a mangeoire is specifically for feeding birds, whereas a nichoir is for nesting.
The phrase faire son nid uses the word for a natural nest, nid, as an idiom for a person establishing their own home or settling down in life.
While nichoir is the standard term, if you call a birdhouse a maison d'oiseaux, a French speaker will understand you, but it will sound as strange as calling a birdhouse a 'bird home' in English.

J'ai installé une maison pour oiseaux dans mon jardin.
I have installed a birdhouse in my garden.
As-tu vu la maisonnette pour oiseaux que j'ai fabriquée?
Have you seen the birdhouse I made?
L'oiseau est rentré dans son nichoir.
The bird went back into its birdhouse.
Le nichoir est accroché à l'arbre.
The birdhouse is hanging on the tree.
J'ai acheté un petit nichoir en bois.
I bought a small wooden birdhouse.
Regarde ce joli nichoir dans le jardin.
Look at this pretty birdhouse in the garden.

Emma and Nathan are in their garden looking at a new decoration.

Sources

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