phoque
/fɔk/masculine
The French word for the animal seal is phoque.
The word phoque refers to the pinniped (the marine mammal).
Meaning: pinniped (noun)
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use 'seal' as a general term for many pinnipeds, French distinguishes between phoque (true seals) and otarie (sea lions/eared seals).
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/fɔk/
Did you know?
- While phoque refers to the animal, the French word for a wax seal used on a letter is sceau, which is unrelated to the animal.
- French describes a seal's bark as un jappement, a word usually reserved for the yapping of small dogs.
- The word phoque originates from the Ancient Greek word phṓkē.
Examples in context
- Le phoque est un mammifère marin.A seal is a marine mammal.Tatoeba #4468592 by Mutusen, translation #13052513 by araneo
- Peux-tu faire la différence entre un phoque et une otarie ?Can you tell the difference between a seal and a sea lion?Tatoeba #8925744 by lbdx, translation #8926338 by carlosalberto
- Mon fils adore aller au zoo pour voir les phoques.My son loves going to the zoo to see the seals.
- Pour authentifier le document, il a apposé son sceau.To authenticate the document, he stamped it with his seal.
- Un phoque nage dans l'océan.A seal swims in the ocean.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- ChloéRegarde ce petit phoque sur le rocher !Look at that little seal on the rock!
- LucasIl est vraiment mignon, ce phoque.That seal is really cute.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'il va plonger dans l'eau ?Is he going to dive into the water?
- LucasOui, je pense qu'il s'apprête à le faire.Yes, I think he is about to do it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seal” translations and entries phoque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries phoque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
