piranha
/pi.ʁa.na/masculine
The French word for piranha is piranha.
piranha refers to a South American fish.
Meaning: South American fish (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /pi.ʁa.na/.
Did you know?
- In French, the word piranha is often used as a metaphor for a group of people who're perceived as being predatory or merciless, such as in the phrase un banc de piranhas to describe a crowd.
- In French, the word piranha is masculine, meaning you would use the article le or un, even though the fish is often associated with 'teeth' (dents), which is a feminine noun.
- In a French culinary context, you will rarely see piranha on a menu, as it is viewed almost exclusively as a dangerous wild animal rather than food.
Examples in context
- As-tu été mordu par un piranha ?Were you bit by a piranha?This sentence is useful for asking if someone was bit by a piranha.Tatoeba #7497789 by tras, translation #7497674 by shekitten
- Tom, le piranha n'est pas un animal de compagnie.A piranha is not a pet, Tom.This sentence is useful for stating that a piranha is not a pet.Tatoeba #7497787 by tras, translation #7497676 by shekitten
- Le piranha est un poisson très dangereux.The piranha is a very dangerous fish.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are visiting an aquarium.
- ChloéRegarde Nathan, c'est un piranha !Look Nathan, it's a piranha!
- NathanIl a l'air vraiment dangereux.He looks really dangerous.
- ChloéLe piranha mange tout très vite.The piranha eats everything very quickly.
- NathanJe ne veux pas nager avec lui.I don't want to swim with him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “piranha” translations and entries piranha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
