lever du soleil
/lə.ve dy sɔ.lɛj/masculine
The English phrase sunrise is translated into French as lever du soleil. Wiktionary also lists potron-minet.
Meaning: time of day (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lever du soleil | /lə.ve dy sɔ.lɛj/ | masculine |
| potron-minet | /pɔ.tʁɔ̃.mi.nɛ/ | masculine |
The phrase refers to the specific time of day when the sun rises.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase lever du soleil literally means rising of the sun.
Which one should you use?
While lever du soleil is the standard term, you may also encounter potron-minet.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because lever is a masculine noun in this context, you must use the masculine article le when referring to the sunrise (le lever du soleil).
How do you pronounce it?
/lə.ve dy sɔ.lɛj/
Did you know?
- The whimsical term potron-minet for sunrise is actually an evolution of an expression about seeing a squirrel's backside. It originally comes from poitron-jacquet, meaning 'as soon as the squirrel's hindquarters appear'.
Examples in context
- J'ai assisté au lever du soleil.I saw the sunrise.This sentence shows how to use lever du soleil to describe witnessing the sunrise.Tatoeba #5606108 by sacredceltic, translation #2881933 by Hybrid
- Je me lèverai au lever du soleil.I'll get up at sunrise.This sentence uses lever du soleil to indicate getting up at the time of sunrise.Tatoeba #8008151 by Aiji, translation #5825668 by CK
- Le coq chante au lever du soleil.The rooster crows at sunrise.This sentence uses lever du soleil to describe the timing of a rooster crowing.Tatoeba #12443514 by lbdx, translation #895240 by metalserfo
- Chaque matin, je contemple le lever du soleil depuis ma fenêtre.Every morning, I contemplate the sunrise from my window.
- On se retrouve demain matin, au moment où le soleil se lève.Let's meet tomorrow morning, at the time of the sunrise.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are camping near a lake.
- ManonTu es prêt pour le lever du soleil ?Are you ready for the sunrise?
- LucasOui, je veux voir la lumière.Yes, I want to see the light.
- ManonIl commence à faire clair.It is starting to get bright.
- LucasC'est un moment parfait, Manon.It is a perfect moment, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunrise” translations and entries lever du soleil, potron-minet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, lever, potron-minet, soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
