cigogne
/si.ɡɔɲ/feminine
The English word "stork" is cigogne in French.
The term cigogne refers to the large wading bird of the family Ciconiidae.
Meaning: large wading bird of the family Ciconiidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Cigogne is a feminine noun, so the definite article used is la (e.g., la cigogne). The plural form of cigogne is cigognes.
How do you pronounce it?
/si.ɡɔɲ/
When do people say it?
In French culture, the stork is a symbol used in folklore to represent the delivery of babies.
Did you know?
- Because the cigogne is a symbol of fertility, French wedding gifts in some traditional villages once included motifs of the bird to wish the couple children.
- In certain regions of France, particularly Alsace, the sight of a cigogne nesting on a roof is a common and celebrated annual event.
- The term cigogne is derived from the Occitan word cigonha, which in turn comes from the Latin cicōnia.
Examples in context
- Est-ce une cigogne ou un héron ?Is that a stork or a heron?This sentence is useful for distinguishing a cigogne from a heron.Tatoeba #11304255 by lbdx, translation #8385078 by Luiaard
- Les parents racontent généralement à leurs enfants que les bébés ont été livrés par une cigogne.Parents usually tell their children that babies were delivered by a stork.This sentence illustrates the folklore of babies being delivered by a cigogne.Tatoeba #8533002 by Aiji, translation #8438412 by AlanF_US
- La cigogne est un échassier.The stork is a wading bird.This sentence describes the cigogne as a wading bird.Tatoeba #6034952 by Adelpa, translation #6034951 by Adelpa
- Les cigognes sont des oiseaux migrateurs majestueux.Storks are majestic migratory birds.
- Le marais abrite de nombreux oiseaux blancs, comme la cigogne.The marsh is home to many white birds, such as the stork.
- Pendant notre visite en Alsace, nous avons eu la chance de voir de nombreuses cigognes.During our visit to Alsace, we were lucky to see many storks.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking in a nature reserve.
- ChloéRegarde, il y a une cigogne sur ce nid !Look, there is a stork on that nest!
- LucasElle est vraiment grande, cette cigogne.That stork is really big.
- ChloéElle est magnifique avec ses plumes blanches.She is beautiful with her white feathers.
- LucasOui, c'est un spectacle impressionnant.Yes, it is an impressive sight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stork” translations and entries cigogne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cigogne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
