bruit
/bʁɥi/masculine
The English word 'noise' is translated into French as bruit. Wiktionary also lists vacarme and boucan.
Meaning: various sounds, usually unwanted (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bruit | /bʁɥi/ | masculine |
| vacarme | /va.kaʁm/ | masculine |
| boucan | /bu.kɑ̃/ | masculine |
| tintamarre | /tɛ̃.ta.maʁ/ | masculine |
The term bruit refers to various sounds, which are usually unwanted. To express the idea of 'to make noise', you can use the common expression faire du bruit.
Which one should you use?
While bruit is the standard, neutral term for any noise, other words offer more specific descriptions. vacarme is used for a very loud, chaotic and disruptive noise, often described as a racket or din. tintamarre is descriptive and suggests a jarring, clattering or metallic series of noises. Finally, boucan refers to a loud and annoying noise.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/bʁɥi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use the verb ébruiter to mean 'to make noise'. That verb actually means 'to spread news or rumors'.
Did you know?
- The term boucan has a surprising history as a loanword from the Old Tupi language, where it originally referred to a 'wooden grill'.
Examples in context
- Fais du bruit !Make some noise!This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 'make some noise' using bruit.Tatoeba #1252666 by sacredceltic, translation #1251507 by Scott
- Cesse ce bruit !Stop this noise!This sentence is useful for practicing the command to 'stop this noise' using bruit.Tatoeba #1141486 by sacredceltic, translation #1363865 by sacredceltic
- Qu'est ce bruit ?What's that noise?This sentence is useful for asking 'what's that noise' using bruit.Tatoeba #3678068 by sacredceltic, translation #2234098 by CK
- Le bruit des vagues est apaisant.The sound of waves is soothing.
- Le tintamarre de la rue m'empêche de me concentrer.The racket in the street prevents me from concentrating.
- Le vacarme dans la salle était assourdissant.The noise in the room was deafening.
- Arrête de faire du boucan, j'essaie de lire.Stop making noise, I'm trying to read.
- Le raffut provoqué par l'événement est audible de loin.The clamor caused by the event can be heard from afar.
- Les bruitages dans ce film sont très réalistes.The sound effects in this movie are very realistic.
- Le soir, on peut entendre la rumeur des vagues depuis notre chambre d'hôtel.In the evening, we can hear the sound of the waves murmuring from our hotel room.
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are trying to sleep in an apartment.
- HugoIl y a trop de bruit dehors.There is too much noise outside.
- EmmaC'est le voisin qui fait du bruit.It is the neighbor making noise.
- HugoIl fait un bruit insupportable.He is making an unbearable noise.
- EmmaOn devrait aller dormir ailleurs.We should go sleep somewhere else.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “noise” translations and entries bruit, vacarme, boucan, tintamarre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boucan, bruit, tintamarre, vacarme, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
