saut
/so/
The French word for jumping is saut.
saut is a noun that refers to the act or an instance of a jump. You can use the phrase Prendre son élan to mean gathering one's momentum. There is also a common idiom, Sauter du coq à l'âne, which literally translates to jumping from the rooster to the donkey. It is used to describe someone shifting topics abruptly during a conversation.
Which one should you use?
saut is a noun referring to the act or the instance of a jump, whereas saute is a conjugated form of the verb sauter. Additionally, while saut refers to the act of jumping, sautillement is used to describe a repetitive, light jumping, hopping or skipping motion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun saut (a jump) is derived from the verb sauter (to jump).
How do you pronounce it?
/so/
Did you know?
- The popular cooking term 'sauté' comes from the French sauter, meaning the food is tossed so that it 'jumps' in the pan.
- In a professional or technical context, the French use the word saut to describe a 'gap' or a 'break', such as a 'saut de ligne' which is a line break in text.
- The English word 'saltation' and the Latin-derived 'salient' share the same linguistic roots as the French saut, connecting the act of jumping to things that stand out or leap forth.
Examples in context
- Tom saute de joie.Tom is jumping up and down.This sentence shows how to use saut to express jumping up and down.Tatoeba #7561165 by tras, translation #7544494 by CK
- Je suis mauvais en saut.I'm bad at jumping.This sentence uses saut to describe being bad at the act of jumping.Tatoeba #13892387 by Rovo, translation #13892389 by Rovo
- La fille saute sur le lit.The girl is jumping on the bed.This sentence demonstrates using saut in the context of jumping on a bed.Tatoeba #7411287 by lbdx, translation #1798398 by Amastan
- Il a sauté par-dessus le murHe jumped over the wall
- Le sportif a fait un bond incroyableThe athlete made an incredible leap
- Les gymnastes ont effectué des sauts spectaculairesThe gymnasts performed spectacular jumps
- Le chiot sautillait de joieThe puppy was jumping with joy
- Elle bondit vers la porte à la moindre occasionShe jumps towards the door at the slightest opportunity
- Ils se sont jetés dans l'eau sans réfléchirThey jumped into the water without thinking
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are at a sports competition.
- EmmaLe saut de Gabriel était impressionnant.Gabriel's jump was impressive.
- GabrielMerci, Emma ! J'ai beaucoup pratiqué.Thanks, Emma! I practiced a lot.
- EmmaC'est ton meilleur saut de la journée.It is your best jump of the day.
- GabrielJe suis vraiment content du résultat.I am really happy with the result.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry saut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
