rat noir
masculine
The English phrase 'black rat' is translated into French as rat noir.
This term is used to refer to the specific biological species Rattus rattus.
Meaning: Rattus rattus (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The term is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- While rat noir describes the biological species, in French slang, calling someone a 'rat' is a common way to describe a stingy or miserly person.
- The French word rat did not come from Latin, but was inherited from Germanic languages like Frankish or Old High German.
- The word noir is used in the French expression voir noir, meaning to be pessimistic or to expect the worst, which colors how the word is perceived beyond simple description.
Examples in context
- J'ai vu un rat noir dans le jardin.I saw a black rat in the garden.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are looking at a photo of a rodent.
- GabrielRegarde, est-ce que c'est un rat noir ?Look, is that a black rat?
- EmmaOui, c'est exactement un rat noir.Yes, it is exactly a black rat.
- GabrielIls sont très rapides, ces animaux.Those animals are very fast.
- EmmaC'est vrai, Gabriel.That's true, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black rat” translations and entries rat noir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noir, rat, rat noir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
