éternuer
/e.tɛʁ.nɥe/
To sneeze in French is éternuer.
The verb éternuer means to expel air as a reflex. If you wish to refer to the act or the event of a sneeze itself, you should use the noun éternuement. Additionally, the word atchoum is an onomatopoeia used to represent the sound of a sneeze, similar to "achoo" in English.
Meaning: expel air as a reflex (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use the verb éternuer to describe the action of sneezing, whereas éternuement is the noun used to name the sneeze itself. The word atchoum is specifically the sound of the sneeze.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /e.tɛʁ.nɥe/.
Did you know?
- In older French literature, the act of sneezing was sometimes linked to the soul attempting to leave the body.
- In many French-speaking cultures, rather than saying 'Bless you', people respond to a sneeze with À vos souhaits, which literally translates to 'To your wishes'.
- The verb éternuer shares a common ancestor with the Latin word 'sternuare', which is the root of the English word 'sternutation', a formal medical term for the act of sneezing.
Examples in context
- J'ai vu mon chien éternuer mais jamais mon chat.I've seen my dog sneeze but never my cat.This sentence is useful for showing how to use éternuer when talking about animals.Tatoeba #809606 by sacredceltic, translation #665508 by darinmex
- Je crois que je vais éternuer… Passe-moi un mouchoir.I think I'm gonna sneeze. Give me a tissue.This sentence is useful for using éternuer when expressing that you are about to sneeze.Tatoeba #3832 by ANH_DAO, translation #2027 by shortiiboy
- Il a éternué pendant la réunionHe sneezed during the meeting
- Elle éternue à tout va depuis qu'elle est arrivéeShe has been sneezing like crazy since she arrived
- Il a commencé à éternuer à cause de la poussière.He started to sneeze because of the dust.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are in a room with a dusty old book.
- HugoCe livre est tellement vieux que je vais éternuer.This book is so old that I'm going to sneeze.
- ChloéÀ tes souhaits, Hugo !Bless you, Hugo!
- HugoMerci, Chloé. Je déteste éternuer comme ça.Thanks, Chloé. I hate sneezing like that.
- ChloéOn devrait peut-être ouvrir la fenêtre.Maybe we should open the window.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sneeze” translations and entries éternuer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries éternuer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
