jument
/ʒy.mɑ̃/feminine
The French word for mare is jument.
jument is a noun used to refer specifically to a female horse.
Meaning: female horse (noun)
Which one should you use?
While jument refers specifically to a female, cheval is the general term for a horse regardless of sex. The masculine counterpart to jument is étalon (stallion).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regional contexts, the term Lac (lake) can occasionally encompass larger 'mares', though this is a distinct usage from the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
jument is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒy.mɑ̃/
Did you know?
- While jument describes the animal, the word mare in French actually means a 'pond' or a 'puddle'.
- The word jument shares a root with the English word 'adjunct', as both derive from the Latin 'iugum' meaning 'yoke'.
- French has a specific term, pouliche, to describe a young female horse, which is distinct from the adult jument.
Examples in context
- Ma jument a mis bas.My mare foaled.This sentence is useful for seeing how to talk about a mare giving birth.Tatoeba #8342694 by Rockaround, translation #2664969 by Balamax
- Ma jument est alezane.My mare is bay in color.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a mare.Tatoeba #8636192 by Julien_PDC, translation #11508976 by megamanenm
- La jument est la femelle du cheval.A mare is a female horse.This sentence is useful for providing a definition of a mare.Tatoeba #12019485 by lbdx, translation #2535223 by Balamax
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a local equestrian center.
- LéaEst-ce que cette jument est calme ?Is this mare calm?
- NathanOui, la jument est très douce.Yes, the mare is very gentle.
- LéaJe vais monter cette jument alors.I am going to ride this mare then.
- NathanFais attention, elle est grande.Be careful, she is big.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mare” translations and entries jument, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jument, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
