cheval-vapeur
/ʃə.val.va.pœʁ/
The French word for horsepower is cheval-vapeur.
cheval-vapeur is used to refer to the unit of measurement for horsepower. In many contexts, it is shortened to CV. To describe the general power or strength of an engine, the word puissance is used instead. The abbreviation ch is often used to write horsepower in French.
Meaning: strength (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The compound noun cheval-vapeur literally means horse-steam.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to multiple horsepower, the plural form is chevaux-vapeur, where only the word for horse is pluralized.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃə.val.va.pœʁ/. It has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In France, you might pay more for a car based on its CV, or 'fiscal horsepower', which is a calculation used for taxation and bears little resemblance to actual engine power.
- The term cheval-vapeur was originally inspired by comparing the output of steam engines to the steady work a draught horse could perform over several hours.
Examples in context
- La voiture a une puissance de 300 chevauxThe car has a power of 300 horsepower
- Cette voiture a énormément de patateThis car has a lot of horsepower
- Cette voiture a une puissance de 150 CVThis car has a power of 150 horsepower
- On mesure la puissance en cheval-vapeur.We measure power in horsepower.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are looking at a car brochure.
- GabrielRegarde, Manon, ce modèle a beaucoup de cheval-vapeur.Look, Manon, this model has a lot of horsepower.
- ManonC'est vrai, elle doit être très rapide.That's true, it must be very fast.
- GabrielOui, le cheval-vapeur est impressionnant ici.Yes, the horsepower is impressive here.
- ManonMais elle consomme sans doute trop d'essence.But it probably consumes too much gas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cheval-vapeur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cheval-vapeur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
