How to Say "Shell" in French - How To Say Guide

coquillage

/kɔ.ki.jaʒ/

The French word for shell is coquillage.

coquillage refers to the hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates.

Meaning: hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates (noun)

Which one should you use?

While coquillage refers to the shell itself, the feminine noun coquille is often used to refer to the shell of a specific mollusk or an eggshell.

coquillage is a masculine noun. To form the plural, add an -s to the end to get coquillages.

/kɔ.ki.jaʒ/

The word coquille is also used in the phrase une coquille dans un texte, which means a typo or a mistake in a written work.
The scallop shell, or coquille Saint-Jacques, is the historic symbol of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage to Spain.
The suffix -age in coquillage is often used in French to transform a concrete object into a collective noun or a collection of things.

Elle écoutait la mer dans un coquillage.
She was listening to the sea in a sea shell.
This sentence is useful for describing someone listening to the sea in a coquillage.
Tatoeba #10219346 by lbdx, translation #2298166 by Dejo
J'ai trouvé un beau coquillage sur le rivage.
I found a beautiful shell on the shore.
This sentence is useful for describing finding a coquillage on the shore.
Tatoeba #10219341 by lbdx, translation #256744 by CK
J'ai ramassé un joli coquillage au bord de la mer.
I picked up a pretty shell at the seaside.
This sentence is useful for describing picking up a coquillage at the seaside.
Tatoeba #11226755 by lbdx, translation #500169 by blay_paul
J'ai trouvé une magnifique coquille sur la plage.
I found a beautiful shell on the beach.
Cette conque sert de protection à l'animal marin.
This shell serves as a protection for the marine animal.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

A man and a woman are walking along a beach.

Sources

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