chœur
/kœʁ/masculine
The French word for choir is chœur or chorale.
Meaning: singing group (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chœur | /kœʁ/ | masculine |
| chorale | /kɔ.ʁal/ | feminine |
In French, the word used depends on whether you are describing the singers themselves or the organization they belong to. You can also use the phrase chef de chœur to mean a choir director or conductor.
Which one should you use?
Use chœur when you are referring to the collective body of singers or a specific section within a group, such as a male or female section. Use chorale when you are referring to the musical organization, club or society as an institution, such as a community choir.
How does it change in a sentence?
chœur is a masculine noun, while chorale is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kœʁ/
Did you know?
- The word chœur is a homophone of the French word for 'heart', cœur. While they are spelled differently, they sound identical in spoken French.
- In a figurative sense, the phrase en chœur is used to describe people speaking or shouting the same thing at once, even if they are not actually singing.
- In a French cathedral, you might hear the term chœur used to describe the physical architectural space where the clergy sit, rather than the singers themselves.
Examples in context
- Tom est chef de chœur.Tom is the choir master.This sentence shows how to use chœur when talking about a choir master.Tatoeba #6697806 by GB3, translation #6697378 by Hybrid
- Je chantais dans la chorale.I used to sing in the choir.This sentence demonstrates the use of chorale to describe singing in a musical group.Tatoeba #6540539 by GB3, translation #6531297 by CK
- Mon épouse chante dans le chœur féminin.My wife sings in the ladies' choir.This sentence illustrates how to use chœur when referring to a specific section like a female choir.Tatoeba #932024 by sacredceltic, translation #932021 by miry
- Je chante dans le chœur.I am singing in the choir.
- Le chœur a donné une magnifique performance.The choir performed beautifully.
- Nous faisons partie d'un groupe vocal appelé 'Harmony'.We are part of a vocal group called 'Harmony'.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing their musical hobbies.
- EmmaTu chantes dans un chœur, Hugo ?Do you sing in a choir, Hugo?
- HugoOui, je fais partie d'un petit chœur.Yes, I am part of a small choir.
- EmmaC'est super, moi je préfère chanter seule.That's great, I prefer singing alone.
- HugoChanter avec un chœur est très agréable.Singing with a choir is very pleasant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “choir” translations and entries chœur, chorale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
