chinchilla
/ʃɛ̃.ʃi.la/masculine
The English word "chinchilla" is translated into French as chinchilla.
chinchilla refers to the rodent of the same name.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables: /ʃɛ̃.ʃi.la/.
Did you know?
- The word chinchilla is borrowed into French from Spanish, which originally took it from the Aymara language of the Andes.
- In French, the word chinchilla refers to both the animal and the luxurious fur used in high fashion.
- While chinchilla is the standard term, some older French texts refer to the animal as le rat des Andes to emphasize its geographic origin.
Examples in context
- Le chinchilla est un animal très mignon.The chinchilla is a very cute animal.
- J'aimerais adopter un chinchilla domestique.I would like to adopt a domestic chinchilla.
- Le chinchilla est un petit animal.The chinchilla is a small animal.
- Je veux acheter un chinchilla.I want to buy a chinchilla.
- Ton chinchilla est très mignon.Your chinchilla is very cute.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are at a pet store.
- LéaEst-ce que ce chinchilla est calme ?Is this chinchilla calm?
- NathanOui, il est très tranquille.Yes, he is very quiet.
- LéaJe l'aime beaucoup.I like him a lot.
- NathanTu peux le toucher.You can touch him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinchilla” translations and entries chinchilla, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chinchilla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
