aimant
/ɛ.mɑ̃/masculine
The French word for magnet is aimant.
aimant refers to a piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.
Meaning: piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of aimant is aimants.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of two syllables and is pronounced /ɛ.mɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- There is a poetic connection between magnets and affection in French. Because aimant can mean 'loving', one might metaphorically describe a magnet as a 'loving' object that pulls things toward itself.
- The word aimant shares an ancient root with the word 'diamond'. Both words trace back to the Latin 'adamas', which described an extremely hard material.
- In French, the phrase un aimant à is used metaphorically to describe a person or place that irresistibly attracts something, such as un aimant à problèmes for a 'trouble magnet'.
Examples in context
- Un aimant attire le fer.A magnet attracts iron.This sentence demonstrates how an aimant attracts iron.Tatoeba #128162 by Julien_PDC, translation #264384 by CM
- La Terre est comme un gros aimant.The earth is like a big magnet.This sentence uses aimant to describe the Earth.Tatoeba #8751236 by Aiji, translation #7884597 by AlanF_US
- Sa caisse est un vrai aimant à gonzesses.His car is a real pussy magnet.This sentence uses the form aimant in an idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #11745561 by lbdx, translation #2626039 by Hybrid
- J'ai accroché une photo sur l'aimantI hung a picture on the magnet
- La magnétite possède des propriétés magnétiques étonnantesLodestone possesses astonishing magnetic properties
- J'ai trouvé un aimant sur le solI found a magnet on the floor
- Le professeur a expliqué comment les aimants fonctionnent.The teacher explained how magnets work.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are cleaning the kitchen together.
- HugoOù est le petit aimant pour le frigo ?Where is the little magnet for the fridge?
- EmmaIl est tombé derrière le meuble, Hugo.It fell behind the furniture, Hugo.
- HugoJe ne le vois pas du tout.I don't see it at all.
- EmmaUtilise cet aimant pour le retrouver !Use this magnet to find it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “magnet” translations and entries aimant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aimant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
