sonnerie
/sɔn.ʁi/
The English word "ringing" can be translated to French as sonnerie.
The word sonnerie refers to the sound of a bell, a telephone or an alarm. In the specific context of mobile phones, sonnerie is the standard term for a ringtone.
Meaning: sound (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of sonnerie is sonneries, which translates to "ringings" or "ringtones".
How do you pronounce it?
sonnerie is pronounced /sɔn.ʁi/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word sonnerie is related to the French verb sonner, which can also mean 'to sound' in the sense of 'to seem'. For example, ça sonne faux means 'it sounds fake'.
- In French, if someone asks Ça sonne ?, they might not be asking about a sound, but rather if someone is 'ringing' or knocking at the door.
- While English uses 'ringing' to describe a sensation in the ears, French speakers use sifflement or bourdonnement instead of the word for a bell's sound.
Examples in context
- La sonnerie m'a réveillé.The ringing woke me.This sentence shows how a sonnerie can act as a wake-up call.Tatoeba #11235158 by lbdx, translation #10478152 by sundown
- La sonnerie s'est arrêtée.The ringing stopped.This sentence describes a sonnerie that has finished.Tatoeba #11837589 by Amastan, translation #9995614 by Amastan
- J'entends une sonnerie de téléphone.I hear a phone ringing.This sentence demonstrates using sonnerie to describe a phone ringtone.Tatoeba #6000339 by PERCE_NEIGE, translation #2360693 by CK
- Le téléphone sonne.The phone is ringing.
- Les cloches tintent dans la cathédrale.The bells are ringing in the cathedral.
- L'alarme retentit dans tout le bâtiment.The alarm is ringing throughout the building.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are in a classroom.
- ChloéTu as entendu la sonnerie ?Did you hear the bell?
- LucasNon, je n'ai rien entendu.No, I didn't hear anything.
- ChloéC'est la sonnerie pour la pause !It's the bell for the break!
- LucasAh, on peut enfin partir.Ah, we can finally leave.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sonnerie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
