ronronner
/ʁɔ̃.ʁɔ.ne/
To purr in French is ronronner.
The verb ronronner is used to describe the action of a cat making a vibrating sound in its throat. It is an onomatopoeic word, meaning it is derived from the sound it describes.
Meaning: of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in the throat (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ronronnement is the formal noun for a purr, ronron is a common, more colloquial way to refer to the sound itself.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁɔ̃.ʁɔ.ne/
Did you know?
- The verb ronronner is often used metaphorically to describe a person who is humming a tune or speaking in a soft and soothing way.
- French literature sometimes uses ronronner to describe a boring or monotonous speech, suggesting a drone-like quality.
- While 'ronron' is the sound, you might hear a French person use 'ronronner' metaphorically to describe a machine or engine that is running smoothly and quietly.
Examples in context
- Le chat a fermé les yeux et a commencé à ronronner.The cat closed his eyes and started to purr.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ronronner in a sentence.Tatoeba #10504218 by lbdx, translation #6113046 by Hybrid
- J'aime quand mon chat commence à ronronner.I love it when my cat starts to purr.
- On entend le petit chaton ronronner.We can hear the kitten purring.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are watching a kitten sleep on the sofa.
- LéaÉcoute, il est en train de ronronner !Listen, he is purring!
- GabrielIl est vraiment très mignon.He is really very cute.
- LéaIl est si calme quand il ronronne.He is so calm when he purrs.
- GabrielC'est un petit chat très paisible.He is a very peaceful little cat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purr” translations and entries ronronner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
