éléphant
/e.le.fɑ̃/masculine
The French word for elephant is éléphant. If unsure, use éléphant. Wiktionary also lists éléphante and éléphanteau.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| éléphant | /e.le.fɑ̃/ | masculine |
| éléphante | /e.le.fɑ̃t/ | feminine |
| éléphanteau | /e.le.fɑ̃.to/ | masculine |
| éléphantelle | /e.le.fɑ̃.tɛl/ | feminine, rare |
The word refers to the large mammal.
Which one should you use?
éléphant is the masculine form, while éléphante is the feminine form. éléphantelle is a rare feminine form used to specify a female elephant. For a baby elephant, use the diminutive form éléphanteau.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
éléphantelle is considered a rare term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term éléphanteau serves as the diminutive form used specifically to denote a baby elephant.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /e.le.fɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- French has a separate word, olifant, which refers to a horn made of ivory. While it sounds different from éléphant, both words share the same ancient root.
- In French, the concept of 'having a memory like an elephant' is expressed as avoir une mémoire d'éléphant, mirroring the English idiom exactly.
Examples in context
- Où est mon éléphant ?Where's my elephant?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of your éléphant.Tatoeba #4573646 by Rovo, translation #3400315 by _undertoad
- Vous aimez un éléphant.You like an elephant.This sentence is useful for expressing that you like an éléphant.Tatoeba #1518531 by martin9, translation #2720574 by kieranjpball
- L'éléphant a un long nez.An elephant has a long nose.This sentence is useful for describing a physical characteristic of an éléphant.Tatoeba #467870 by Bruno, translation #268258 by CK
- J'ai vu un pachyderme incroyable au zoo aujourd'hui!I saw an incredible elephant at the zoo today!
- Les éléphants sont connus pour leur intelligence et leur mémoire impressionnante.Elephants are known for their intelligence and impressive memory.
- Regarde cette photo d'un adorable éléphanteau!Look at this picture of an adorable baby elephant!
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A children's museum in Paris.
- NathanRegarde ce grand éléphant !Look at this big elephant!
- EmmaIl est vraiment impressionnant, Nathan.It is really impressive, Nathan.
- NathanEst-ce qu'il est très lourd ?Is he very heavy?
- EmmaOui, un éléphant est très massif.Yes, an elephant is very massive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elephant” translations and entries éléphant, éléphante, éléphanteau, éléphantelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries éléphant, éléphanteau, éléphantelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
