arrête d'aboyer
The English phrase "stop barking" is translated into French as arrête d'aboyer.
This phrase is used as a command to tell a dog to stop making loud barking noises.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb arrête (stop) and the infinitive aboyer (to bark) joined by the preposition d' (a contraction of de).
Which one should you use?
While aboyer is the standard word for barking, you might encounter japper. This is used specifically for smaller dogs making high-pitched, repetitive sounds (yapping).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing more than one dog or using a formal tone, you must use the form arrêtez d'aboyer instead of arrête d'aboyer. In written French, an exclamation mark is often preceded by a non-breaking space.
Did you know?
- In French, the sound a dog makes is written as ouaf ouaf, whereas English speakers use 'woof woof' or 'ruff ruff'.
- The word gueuler for barking comes from gueule, which means the 'maw' or 'throat' of an animal, making it an anatomically descriptive way to tell someone to stop shouting.
- The verb aboyer is a distant relative of the English word 'bay', as both derive from the Latin bauire, describing the deep howl of a hound.
Examples in context
- Arrête d'aboyer !Stop barking!This sentence is a direct command using arrête d'aboyer.Tatoeba #7016898 by Micsmithel, translation #5934817 by Sethlang
- Comment faire pour que mon chien arrête d'aboyer tout le temps ?How can I get my dog to stop barking all the time?This sentence is useful for asking how to prevent a dog from barking constantly using arrête d'aboyer.Tatoeba #12417292 by Rovo, translation #9662671 by CK
Example conversation
Hugo is trying to sleep while Manon's dog makes noise.
- ManonDésolée Hugo, il fait trop de bruit.Sorry Hugo, he is making too much noise.
- HugoDis-lui d'arrêter, s'il te plaît.Tell him to stop, please.
- ManonArrête d'aboyer, tout de suite !Stop barking, right now!
- HugoMerci, enfin un peu de calme.Thank you, finally a little peace.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
