moustique
/mus.tik/masculine
The French word for mosquito is moustique. Wiktionary also lists maringouin.
Meaning: small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| moustique | /mus.tik/ | masculine |
| maringouin | /ma.ʁɛ̃.ɡwɛ̃/ | North America, masculine |
The word refers to the small flying insect of the family Culicidae that is known for biting and sucking blood. To describe the action of a mosquito, use the verb piquer to mean bite or sting, rather than mordre. You may also encounter the phrases piqûre de moustique for a mosquito bite and répulsif anti-moustiques for mosquito repellent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
maringouin is a term for mosquito commonly used in Canadian French, particularly in Quebec and in some areas of Africa.
How does it change in a sentence?
moustique is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/mus.tik/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When describing the action of a mosquito, use the verb piquer rather than mordre (to bite).
Did you know?
- While moustique is standard in France, the term maringouin is used in Quebec and parts of Africa, originating from the Guarani language of Paraguay.
- Because piquer is used for mosquitoes, a mosquito bite is called a piqûre, the same word used for a medical injection.
- The word maringouin creates a distinct regional marker that can immediately signal to a listener whether the speaker is from France or Quebec.
Examples in context
- J'ai tué le moustique.I killed the mosquito.Tatoeba #7773548 by Aiji, translation #3822229 by CK
- Un moustique m'a piqué.I was bitten by a mosquito.Tatoeba #1460526 by martin9, translation #4794027 by NatsuDonkey
- J'ai écrasé un moustique.I swatted a mosquito.Tatoeba #10658041 by lbdx, translation #5966536 by mailohilohi
- Les moustiques sont nombreux en étéMosquitoes are plentiful in the summer
- Je me suis réveillé avec des piqûres de maringouinsI woke up with mosquito bites
- Nous avons besoin d'acheter du répulsif anti-moustiques avant de partir en camping ce week-end.We need to buy mosquito repellent before going camping this weekend.
- Il y a beaucoup de moustiques ici?Are there many mosquitoes here?
- Je me suis fait piquer par un maringouin.I got bitten by a mosquito.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are sitting on a terrace in the evening.
- EmmaIl y a trop de moustiques ici.There are too many mosquitoes here.
- GabrielC'est vrai, je me fais piquer.That's true, I'm getting bitten.
- EmmaJe vais chercher un spray anti-moustique.I'm going to get some mosquito spray.
- GabrielMerci, Emma, c'est très gentil.Thank you, Emma, that's very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mosquito” translations and entries moustique, maringouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maringouin, moustique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
