rouge-gorge
/ʁuʒ.ɡɔʁʒ/
The English word 'robin' is translated into French as rouge-gorge.
The term rouge-gorge is used to refer to any bird known as a robin in English.
Meaning: any bird called robin in English (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of rouge, meaning 'red' and gorge, meaning 'throat', literally translating to 'red-throat'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁuʒ.ɡɔʁʒ/
Did you know?
- An English speaker might be confused to find that a French rouge-gorge is significantly smaller than the American Robin.
- French folklore sometimes depicts the rouge-gorge as a messenger from the afterlife or a representation of a soul.
- The word gorge in rouge-gorge refers to the throat, but it is also the French word for a 'gorge' or 'canyon' in geography.
Examples in context
- Le rouge-gorge cherche des vers.The robin is looking for worms.This sentence is useful for seeing the word in a sentence about a bird searching for food.Tatoeba #9836780 by lbdx, translation #8742999 by Solana
- Un joli rouge-gorge s'est posé sur le rebord de fenêtre de ma chambre.A pretty robin landed on my room's windowsill.This sentence shows how to describe a robin landing on a windowsill.Tatoeba #12618935 by lbdx, translation #2760422 by mervert1
- Le rouge-gorge est ainsi nommé à cause des plumes rouges qui lui couvrent la gorge et également la face.The redbreast robin is named so due to the red feathers covering its throat and face.This sentence explains the etymology of the name rouge-gorge based on the bird's appearance.Tatoeba #6171670 by felix63, translation #9741177 by traeton
- Bonjour Monsieur, j'ai récemment observé un rouge-gorge dans mon jardin. C'était vraiment magnifique! Je voulais vous demander quelques informations sur cet oiseau.Hello Sir, I recently spotted a robin in my garden. It was truly magnificent! I wanted to ask you for some information about this bird.
- Salut Julie! Regarde ce joli merle rouge sur la branche d'arbre là-bas. On dirait qu'il nous observe.Hi Julie! Look at that cute robin on the tree branch over there. It seems like it's watching us.
- Pendant ma promenade en forêt, j'ai pu observer un magnifique rouge-gorge . Son chant mélodieux m'a enchanté.During my forest walk, I was able to observe a magnificent robin. Its melodious song enchanted me.
- Pauline m'a offert une carte d'anniversaire avec un merle rouge dessiné dessus. Quel cadeau adorable!Pauline gave me a birthday card with a robin drawn on it. What a lovely gift!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are sitting in a garden watching birds.
- NathanRegarde ce petit rouge-gorge sur la branche !Look at that little robin on the branch!
- ManonOh, il est magnifique, ce rouge-gorge.Oh, that robin is beautiful.
- NathanTu penses qu'il va rester là ?Do you think he will stay there?
- ManonPeut-être, s'il ne se sent pas menacé.Maybe, if he doesn't feel threatened.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rouge-gorge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
