tonnerre
/tɔ.nɛʁ/
Thunder in French is tonnerre.
tonnerre refers to the deep, rumbling noise. If you want to describe the sound itself as rumbling, you can use the verb gronder. To describe the sound as being loud, you can use the adjective fort.
Meaning: deep, rumbling noise (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tonnerre refers to the sound, la foudre refers to the visual flash of lightning.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɔ.nɛʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, tonnerre is used as a mild swear word to express anger or surprise, similar to saying 'thunder!' or 'dammit!' in English.
- The verb used to describe the sound, gronder, is the exact same verb used to describe an angry person scolding or 'growling' at someone.
- The character Asterix frequently uses tonnerre! as a trademark exclamation in the famous comic series.
Examples in context
- Elle a peur du tonnerre.She is frightened of thunder.This sentence shows how to express being frightened of tonnerre.Tatoeba #134702 by nimfeo, translation #317383 by CK
- Le tonnerre gronde au loin.Thunder is rumbling in the distance.This sentence illustrates using tonnerre to describe a sound rumbling in the distance.Tatoeba #12328129 by lbdx, translation #9986870 by tsp_2
- La foudre précède le tonnerre.Lightning precedes thunder.This sentence demonstrates the relationship between la foudre and tonnerre.Tatoeba #14026 by sacredceltic, translation #27161 by CK
- Le tonnerre grondait au loinThe thunder was rumbling in the distance
- Les grondements du tonnerre ont effrayé les enfantsThe rumblings of thunder frightened the children
- Le bruit du tonnerre était assourdissantThe sound of thunder was deafening
- Le tonnerre était fort et effrayantThe thunder was loud and frightening
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are sitting by a window during a storm.
- ChloéTu entends le tonnerre ?Do you hear the thunder?
- NathanOui, c'est très fort.Yes, it is very loud.
- ChloéLe tonnerre me fait peur.The thunder scares me.
- NathanNe t'inquiète pas, Chloé.Don't worry, Chloé.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tonnerre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
