piqûre de moustique
feminine
In French, mosquito bite is piqûre de moustique. Wiktionary also lists bouton de moustique.
Meaning: visible bump of inflamed skin (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| piqûre de moustique | feminine |
| bouton de moustique | masculine |
You can use piqûre de moustique to refer to the bite or the puncture itself, while bouton de moustique is used when you want to focus on the physical bump or lesion appearing on the skin. In casual conversation, if it is already clear you are talking about mosquitoes, you can simply say une piqûre to mean a sting or bite.
What does it mean word for word?
The word piqûre literally refers to the act of a sting or a puncture from an insect.
Which one should you use?
Use piqûre de moustique to focus on the puncture/sting itself, whereas bouton de moustique focuses on the physical bump or lesion on the skin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term bouton de moustique is masculine, while piqûre de moustique is feminine.
Did you know?
- French speakers use the word piqûre for both a mosquito bite and a medical injection.
- The term bouton used for a bite bump originally comes from a Frankish word meaning 'that which pushes up'. This same root gave English the word 'button'.
- While bouton is used for a mosquito bump, it is also the standard French word for a pimple or acne spot.
Examples in context
- J'ai une piqûre de moustique sur le coude.I have a mosquito bite on my elbow.This sentence shows how to describe the location of a piqûre de moustique on your body.Tatoeba #12318762 by lbdx, translation #3367217 by _undertoad
- Ne gratte pas ta piqûre de moustique. Elle va s'enflammer.Don't scratch your mosquito bite. It'll get inflamed.This sentence uses piqûre de moustique in the context of avoiding scratching the bite.Tatoeba #12185439 by lbdx, translation #23595 by Luornu
- Excusez-moi, j'ai une piqûre de moustique. Auriez-vous quelque chose pour soulager les démangeaisons ?Excuse me, I have a mosquito bite. Do you have anything to relieve the itching?
- J'ai plein de piqûres de moustiques. Les démangeaisons sont insupportables !I have a lot of mosquito bites. The itching is unbearable!
- Ça pique après une piqûre de moustique !It stings after a mosquito bite!
- Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour éviter les piqûres de moustiques ?What can I do to avoid mosquito bites?
- Cette piqûre de moustique me démange beaucoup.This mosquito bite is itching a lot.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are walking in a park.
- LéaOh non, j'ai une piqûre de moustique !Oh no, I have a mosquito bite!
- GabrielOù est-ce qu'elle est, Léa ?Where is it, Léa?
- LéaC'est juste ici, sur ma cheville.It's right here, on my ankle.
- GabrielJe peux mettre de la crème dessus.I can put some cream on it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mosquito bite” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bouton, de, moustique, piqûre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
