agneau
/a.ɲo/masculine
The French word for lamb is agneau.
agneau is a masculine noun used to refer to a young sheep.
Meaning: young sheep (noun)
Which one should you use?
While agneau refers specifically to the young animal, mouton is the more general term used for a sheep regardless of its age.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In North Africa, the term méchoui refers to a traditional spit-roasted lamb dish.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of agneau is agneaux. Additionally, the phrase mettre bas is a verb used to describe the act of a sheep giving birth.
How do you pronounce it?
agneau is pronounced /a.ɲo/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word agneau is a descendant of the Latin word agnellus, which was itself a diminutive form of agnus.
- In French religious art and texts, l'Agneau de Dieu refers to the 'Lamb of God', a central symbol of purity and sacrifice in Catholicism.
- French distinguishes between agneau for the animal and gigot when referring specifically to the leg of lamb as a cut of meat.
Examples in context
- Le loup a tué l'agneau.The wolf killed the lamb.This sentence shows how to use agneau in the context of a predator and prey.Tatoeba #11426760 by lbdx, translation #3598959 by dibdin
- L'agneau rôti est délicieux.The roast lamb is very good.This sentence uses agneau to describe a delicious roast dish.Tatoeba #3625508 by sacredceltic, translation #3622853 by Hybrid
- L'agneau était parfaitement cuit.The lamb was cooked perfectly.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the cooking state of agneau.Tatoeba #7045149 by Aiji, translation #4121174 by Hybrid
- Je vais préparer un délicieux plat d'agneau ce soir.I'm going to prepare a delicious lamb dish tonight.
- J'adore la viande d'agneau dans les plats traditionnels.I love lamb meat in traditional dishes.
- On va se régaler avec un bon plat de mouton à la maison.We're going to enjoy a tasty lamb dish at home.
- Ce gigot d'agneau sera parfait pour notre repas de famille dimanche.This leg of lamb will be perfect for our Sunday family meal.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are at a local butcher shop.
- LéaEst-ce que cet agneau est frais ?Is this lamb fresh?
- LucasOui, l'agneau est arrivé ce matin.Yes, the lamb arrived this morning.
- LéaJe vais prendre cet agneau.I will take this lamb.
- LucasTrès bien, je vous le prépare.Very well, I will prepare it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lamb” translations and entries agneau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agneau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
