pigeon
/pi.ʒɔ̃/masculine
The French word for pigeon is pigeon.
The word refers to any bird in the Columbidae family, such as a pigeon or a dove.
Meaning: bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural is formed by adding an 's' to the end, but this final 's' is silent when spoken.
How do you pronounce it?
/pi.ʒɔ̃/
Did you know?
- The French verb pigeonner means to swindle or cheat someone, derived directly from the noun pigeon.
- The word is an onomatopoeic descendant of the Latin pīpiāre, which mimics the high-pitched 'chirping' sound of a bird.
- The phrase être le pigeon means to be the one who is taken advantage of in a deal or the one who ends up paying for everyone else.
Examples in context
- Il te faut toucher le pigeon d'argile.You need to hit the clay pigeon.This sentence shows how to use pigeon when referring to a clay pigeon.Tatoeba #3587751 by sacredceltic, translation #2156252 by Hybrid
- Quelle est la différence entre un pigeon ?What is the difference between a pigeon?This sentence uses pigeon to ask about the difference between birds.Tatoeba #677786 by Archibald, translation #677794 by Archibald
- Nous sommes allés faire du tir aux pigeons.We went clay pigeon shooting.This sentence demonstrates the use of pigeon in the context of clay pigeon shooting.Tatoeba #2158195 by sacredceltic, translation #2156253 by Hybrid
- Regardez ce pigeon sur le rebord de la fenêtre.Look at that pigeon on the windowsill.
- Ne sois pas un pigeon, il essaie juste de te berner.Don't be a fool, he's just trying to swindle you.
- Ah, regarde ce mignon petit pigeonneau.Ah, look at that cute little baby pigeon.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are sitting in a park.
- HugoRegarde ce pigeon sur le banc.Look at that pigeon on the bench.
- ManonIl est très gros, ce pigeon.That pigeon is very big.
- HugoIl cherche des miettes de pain.He is looking for breadcrumbs.
- ManonNe lui donne pas de pain, Hugo.Don't give him bread, Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pigeon” translations and entries pigeon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pigeon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
