cerf-volant
/sɛʁ.vɔ.lɑ̃/masculine
The French word for kite is cerf-volant.
cerf-volant is a masculine noun used to refer to a lightweight toy designed to be flown in the wind.
Meaning: lightweight toy for flying (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the term translates to flying deer.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, cerfs-volants is used to mean kites.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛʁ.vɔ.lɑ̃/
Did you know?
- Some historians suggest the name may not come from 'deer' at all, but from a corruption of the Old French word serpe, meaning 'serpent' or 'dragon'. This would link the kite to a 'flying dragon' rather than a forest animal.
- The word volant comes from the verb voler, which has two completely different meanings: 'to fly' and 'to steal'.
- The word volant is used in technical French to describe a 'steering wheel'.
Examples in context
- Le cerf-volant est monté.The kite went upward.This sentence shows the kite moving upward.Tatoeba #11837686 by Amastan, translation #40913 by Amastan
- Tom m'a acheté un cerf-volant.Tom bought me a kite.This sentence shows someone buying a cerf-volant.Tatoeba #7528478 by tras, translation #5583954 by CK
- Il faisait voler un cerf-volant.He flew a kite.This sentence describes the act of flying a cerf-volant.Tatoeba #1131711 by sacredceltic, translation #291633 by CK
- Le week-end dernier, j'ai construit un cerf-volant avec mon fils.Last weekend, I built a kite with my son.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are at the beach.
- ManonRegarde mon nouveau cerf-volant !Look at my new kite!
- NathanIl est très beau, Nathan.It is very beautiful, Nathan.
- ManonEst-ce que tu veux faire voler le cerf-volant ?Do you want to fly the kite?
- NathanOui, je veux essayer !Yes, I want to try!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kite” translations and entries cerf-volant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerf-volant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
