chenil
/ʃə.nil/
The French word for kennel is chenil.
chenil refers to a shelter for dogs. If you are referring specifically to a formal commercial boarding establishment designed for dogs, the term pension pour chiens is used.
Meaning: shelter (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃə.nil/
Did you know?
- The English word 'kennel' is actually a loanword borrowed from the Old French chenil.
- A chenil in a historical royal context often referred to a specialized department of the palace dedicated to hunting hounds.
- Despite the similarity in meaning, an English speaker calling a high-end pet spa a chenil might accidentally sound like they are describing a much more primitive, outdoor enclosure.
Examples in context
- Pochi et Moko sont dans le chenil et les autres chiens jouent dans le jardin.Pochi and Moko are in the kennel, and other dogs are playing in the garden.This sentence shows the use of chenil in a context describing dogs in a kennel and a garden.Tatoeba #8469572 by Aiji, translation #33421 by AlanF_US
- Le chien dort dans son chenil.The dog is sleeping in his kennel.
- Nous devons nettoyer le chenil aujourd'hui.We must clean the kennel today.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are planning a vacation.
- ManonOù allons-nous mettre le chien ?Where are we going to put the dog?
- LucasOn peut le mettre dans un chenil.We can put him in a kennel.
- ManonEst-ce que le chenil est loin d'ici ?Is the kennel far from here?
- LucasNon, c'est juste à côté de la mairie.No, it is right next to the town hall.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chenil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chenil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
