tornade
feminine
The French word for "tornado" is tornade.
tornade refers to a violent windstorm.
Meaning: violent windstorm (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tornade is tornades.
Did you know?
- French uses the word trombe to describe a 'waterspout', which literally translates to 'trunk', referring to the shape of an elephant's nose.
- The French word tornade was borrowed from the Spanish word 'tornado', which originally described the 'turning' or 'returning' of the wind.
- Unlike English, where 'tornado' is a common household word, tornade is less frequent in daily French conversation because they are rare in mainland France.
Examples in context
- La tornade a ravagé la région.The tornado ravaged the region.This sentence shows how a tornade can ravage a region.Tatoeba #10537689 by lbdx, translation #5953515 by mailohilohi
- La tornade a détruit tout le village.The tornado destroyed the whole village.This sentence shows how a tornade can destroy a village.Tatoeba #6893552 by Aiji, translation #325504 by CK
- La ville a été dévastée par une tornade.The city was ravaged by a tornado.This sentence shows how a city can be ravaged by a tornade.Tatoeba #10537698 by lbdx, translation #5953517 by mailohilohi
- Les tornades sont fréquentes aux États-Unis pendant la saison des tornades.Tornadoes are common in the United States during tornado season.
- Oh wow, regarde cette tornade ! C'est impressionnant !Oh wow, look at that tornado! It's impressive!
- J'ai vu un tourbillon énorme se former au loin.I saw a huge whirlwind forming in the distance.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are watching the news on television.
- LucasRegarde, une tornade approche de la côte.Look, a tornado is approaching the coast.
- ChloéC'est effrayant, il faut aller à l'abri.It's scary, we must go to the shelter.
- LucasEst-ce que la tornade est très grande ?Is the tornado very large?
- ChloéOui, elle semble extrêmement puissante.Yes, it seems extremely powerful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tornado” translations and entries tornade, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tornade, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
