renne
/ʁɛn/masculine
The English word reindeer is translated into French as renne. Wiktionary also lists caribou.
Meaning: Rangifer tarandus (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| renne | /ʁɛn/ (France) /ʁɛn/ (Belgium, Quebec) |
masculine |
| caribou | /ka.ʁi.bu/ | North America, masculine |
The term refers to the animal *Rangifer tarandus*.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In North America, the animal is specifically referred to as a caribou rather than a renne.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of renne is rennes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁɛn/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- As-tu déjà goûté du renne ?Have you ever tried reindeer?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has ever eaten renne.Tatoeba #8729283 by Julien_PDC, translation #10109227 by letsgolanguages
- À qui appartiennent ces rennes ?Who owns these reindeer?This sentence is useful for asking who owns certain renne.Tatoeba #7135922 by Rovo, translation #2197636 by Tximist
- Le Père Noël a de nombreux rennes.Santa Claus has many reindeer.This sentence is useful for mentioning that Santa Claus has many renne.Tatoeba #9489668 by Micsmithel, translation #5719356 by keir
- Le renne est un symbole de NoëlThe reindeer is a symbol of Christmas
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are looking at animals in a snowy park.
- NathanRegarde, Léa, voilà un renne !Look, Léa, there is a reindeer!
- LéaIl est magnifique avec ses grands bois.He is magnificent with his large antlers.
- NathanJe me demande si le renne est sauvage.I wonder if the reindeer is wild.
- LéaJe pense qu'il appartient au parc.I think he belongs to the park.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “reindeer” translations and entries renne, caribou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caribou, renne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
