lama
/la.ma/masculine
The French word for llama is lama.
The word refers to the South American mammal of the camel family, *Lama glama*.
Meaning: South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /la.ma/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word lama for the animal comes from Quechua, but the word lama for the monk comes from Tibetan, making them 'false friends' in terms of etymology.
- The French word lama is a homograph that can refer to two entirely different things: the South American mammal or a Tibetan Buddhist monk.
Examples in context
- Ils tuaient un lama chaque jour pour satisfaire le dieu soleil.Every day they killed a llama to make the Sun God happy.This sentence is useful for seeing the word lama in a historical context regarding the Sun God.Tatoeba #135276 by sacredceltic, translation #322446 by Shiawase
- Est-ce un lama ?Is that a llama?This sentence is useful for asking for identification of a lama.Tatoeba #2763567 by mervert1, translation #1825390 by pne
- L'écologie des lamas est un sujet important.The ecology of llamas is an important subject.
- As-tu déjà vu un lama de près ?Have you ever seen a llama up close?
- Le lama est un animal très calme.The llama is a very calm animal.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking at a picture book in a library.
- LucasRegarde ce lama sur la photo, Léa.Look at this llama in the photo, Léa.
- LéaIl est vraiment mignon, ce lama !That llama is really cute!
- LucasEst-ce qu'il est grand, le lama ?Is the llama big?
- LéaOui, il a l'air assez imposant.Yes, it looks quite imposing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “llama” translations and entries lama, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lama, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
