bavard
/ba.vaʁ/
The English phrase 'chatty' is translated into French as bavard.
The adjective is used to describe someone who is chatting a lot or is fond of chatting. You may also encounter the noun bavardage, which refers to the act of chatting or idle talk.
Meaning: chatting a lot or fond of chatting (adj)
Which one should you use?
While bavard can be used affectionately, it can also be used pejoratively to imply someone talks too much or is indiscreet.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the subject: bavard is the masculine singular, bavarde is the feminine singular, bavards is the masculine plural and bavardes is the feminine plural.
Did you know?
- The word bavard is built from bave, meaning 'spittle' or 'drool'. It originally suggested that a chatty person talks so much they literally drool while speaking.
- French has a specific expression avoir la langue bien pendue to describe someone who is bavard. It literally means 'to have a well-hung tongue'.
- If you want to describe someone who talks incessantly without pause, you might use the more intense term moulin à paroles, literally meaning 'a flour mill of words'.
Examples in context
- Il est extrêmement bavard.He's extremely chatty.This sentence is useful for showing how to use bavard to describe a person's level of chattiness.Tatoeba #10623387 by lbdx, translation #12427061 by Orange
- Je ne suis pas très bavarde, en général.I'm not very chatty, usually.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the feminine form bavarde of bavard.Tatoeba #11171766 by Aiji, translation #5735755 by CM
- On dit que les coiffeurs et les chauffeurs de taxi sont bavards.They say that hairdressers and taxi drivers are chatty.This sentence is useful for showing the plural use of bavard when referring to certain professions.Tatoeba #11949609 by RCendre, translation #13818691 by tieguy
- Marie est très loquace. Elle ne cesse de parler des heures durant!Marie is very talkative. She keeps talking for hours on end!
- Luc est bavard, il aime partager ses histoires et anecdotes.Luc is chatty, he enjoys sharing his stories and anecdotes.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking about a new neighbor.
- ManonTon nouveau voisin est très bavard.Your new neighbor is very chatty.
- NathanOui, il parle tout le temps.Yes, he talks all the time.
- ManonEst-ce qu'il est sympa quand même ?Is he nice, though?
- NathanOui, il est gentil, juste un peu bavard.Yes, he is kind, just a bit chatty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chatty” translations and entries bavard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bavard, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
