panthère
/pɑ̃.tɛʁ/feminine
The French word for panther is panthère.
The word panthère refers to a big cat belonging to the genus Panthera.
Meaning: big cat of genus Panthera (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine. Because of this, you must use the feminine indefinite article une (as in une panthère) instead of the masculine un.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /pɑ̃.tɛʁ/.
Did you know?
- French fashion terminology uses panthère to describe a specific animal print pattern, regardless of whether the fabric is actually from a leopard or a panther.
- While English has 'panther' and 'leopard', French often uses panthère as a general term that covers both animals in casual conversation.
- Even though the word describes a powerful predator, the feminine gender of panthère is a grammatical requirement and does not imply the animal is female.
Examples in context
- La panthère est rose.The panther is pink.Tatoeba #7370551 by tras, translation #7362899 by ProfessorAntonnio
- La panthère dort sur une branche.The panther sleeps over a branch.Tatoeba #3422611 by Ginette, translation #8911175 by mialiesperantistas
- Assise dans son fauteuil en peau de panthère, la jeune femme en lingerie rouge lisait à haute voix un livre intitulé « La princesse noire ».Sitting in her panther hide chair, the young woman, clad in red lingerie, was reading aloud a book titled "The Black Princess".Tatoeba #4010 by zmoo, translation #421726 by Scott
- Le zoo parisien abrite une incroyable panthère.The Parisian zoo is home to an incredible panther.
- L'Afrique est célèbre pour ses magnifiques panthères noires.Africa is famous for its magnificent black panthers.
- La panthère des neiges est en danger d'extinction.The snow leopard is at risk of extinction.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- ManonRegarde cette belle panthère noire.Look at that beautiful black panther.
- GabrielElle est vraiment impressionnante.She is truly impressive.
- ManonLa panthère semble très rapide.The panther seems very fast.
- GabrielOui, c'est un prédateur redoutable.Yes, it is a formidable predator.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “panther” translations and entries panthère, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
