élan d'Amérique
Europe, masculine
The English word moose can be translated into French as élan d'Amérique or orignal.
Meaning: largest member of the deer family (Alces alces) (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| élan d'Amérique | Europe, masculine | |
| orignal | /ɔ.ʁi.ɲal/ | North America, masculine |
Both terms refer to the largest member of the deer family (Alces alces).
Which one should you use?
élan d'Amérique is used in Europe, while orignal is used in North-America.
Is it said differently in some regions?
orignal is the term specifically used for the moose in North American French, particularly in Quebec.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural of orignal, use orignaux. For élan d'Amérique, the plural is élans d'Amérique. Both nouns are masculine.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Les orignals sont énormes.Moose are huge.This sentence is useful for describing the massive size of the orignal.Tatoeba #12337794 by Rovo, translation #12335930 by Miktsoanit
- L'orignal est un animal majestueux.The moose is a majestic animal.
- J'ai vu un élan dans les bois hier soir.I saw a moose in the woods last night.
- Les chasseurs espèrent trouver un caribou cet automne.The hunters hope to find a moose this fall.
- L'élan d'Amérique vit dans les forêts du Canada.The moose lives in the forests of Canada.
- J'ai vu un élan d'Amérique près du lac.I saw a moose near the lake.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are visiting a nature reserve in North America.
- EmmaNathan, est-ce qu'on a vu un élan d'Amérique ?Nathan, did we see a moose?
- NathanOui, il était juste là-bas près du lac.Yes, it was right over there by the lake.
- EmmaC'était vraiment impressionnant à voir.It was really impressive to see.
- NathanC'est le plus grand cerf du monde.It is the largest deer in the world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moose” translations and entries orignal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orignal, élan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
