phoque
animal
The animal called "seal" is a phoque in French. The word sceau is a different "seal", the stamp on an official document.
Meaning: marine mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| phoque | animal |
| sceau | stamp, not the animal |
Use un phoque for one seal and des phoques for several. A seal pup is called un bébé phoque.
Which one should you use?
The English word covers two meanings, and French uses two words. If you mean the animal, never use sceau.
How do you pronounce it?
Phoque sounds like "fock", with a hard k at the end.
Did you know?
- The French word phoque comes from Latin phoca, which came from Greek.
Examples in context
- Le phoque nage dans la mer.The seal swims in the sea.
- Nous avons vu des phoques au zoo.We saw seals at the zoo.
- Le bébé phoque est tout blanc.The baby seal is all white.
Example conversation
Clara and her father Pierre visit an aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
- ClaraPapa, regarde le phoque!Dad, look at the seal!
- PierreIl est drôle.He is funny.
- ClaraIl joue avec une balle.He is playing with a ball.
