cygne
/siɲ/masculine
The French word for swan is cygne. Wiktionary also lists cygne mâle and cygne femelle.
Meaning: waterfowl of the genus Cygnus (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cygne | /siɲ/ | masculine |
| cygne mâle | masculine | |
| cygne femelle | masculine | |
| cygneau | masculine | |
| cygnet | masculine | |
| jeune cygne | masculine |
cygne refers to a waterfowl of the genus Cygnus.
How do you pronounce it?
/siɲ/
Did you know?
- The word cygne is a homophone of signe, which means 'sign' or 'gesture'.
- While the English word 'swan' is quite simple, the French term cygne contains a silent 'g' that was only added to the written language to honor its Latin roots.
- In French literature and art, the cygne is often used as a symbol of purity and fidelity because these birds are believed to mate for life.
Examples in context
- Il y a un cygne dans l’eau là.There is a swan in the water there.This sentence shows how to identify a single cygne in the water.Tatoeba #1142726 by dominiko, translation #1142560 by Arraroak
- Un cygne glisse vers les roseaux.A swan is gliding toward the reeds.This sentence illustrates the movement of a cygne toward reeds.Tatoeba #4435397 by sacredceltic, translation #4344181 by LB
- L'affreux petit canard se changea en un superbe cygne.The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.This sentence uses cygne to describe the transformation in the story of the ugly duckling.Tatoeba #7644384 by tras, translation #7584566 by CHThiem
- C'est un cygne, madame/monsieur.It's a swan, madam/sir.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are walking by a park lake.
- LéaLucas, regarde ce beau cygne !Lucas, look at this beautiful swan!
- LucasOui, il est vraiment élégant.Yes, it is truly elegant.
- LéaEst-ce qu'il y a d'autres cygnes ?Are there other swans?
- LucasNon, je n'en vois aucun d'autre.No, I don't see any others.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swan” translations and entries cygne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cygne, femelle, mâle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
