dinde
/dɛ̃d/feminine
The English word "turkey" (the bird) is translated into French as dinde. Wiktionary also lists dindon.
Meaning: bird in the genus Meleagris (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dinde | /dɛ̃d/ | feminine |
| dindon | /dɛ̃.dɔ̃/ | masculine |
In French, the word for the bird in the genus Meleagris is expressed through two different forms depending on the gender of the bird. Note that this is unrelated to the country, which is called Turquie.
Which one should you use?
The feminine form dinde is used when referring to the species in general or specifically to a female turkey. The masculine form dindon is used to refer specifically to a male turkey.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word dinde is a feminine noun, while dindon is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɛ̃d/
Did you know?
- In French, calling someone a dindon is a way of calling them a fool or a gullible person.
- Early French explorers mistakenly believed turkeys were from the Indies, leading them to call the bird a poule d'Inde or 'hen from India'.
- The expression être le dindon de la farce means to be the victim of a joke or the one who is tricked.
Examples in context
- J'ai coupé la dinde.I sliced the turkey.This sentence shows how to use dinde when slicing the bird.Tatoeba #10346611 by Aiji, translation #5958442 by CK
- Elle a rôti la dinde.She roasted the turkey.This sentence shows how to use dinde when roasting the bird.Tatoeba #2033000 by Amastan, translation #2032998 by Spamster
- Quand manges-tu de la dinde ?When do you eat turkey?This sentence shows how to use dinde when asking about eating the bird.Tatoeba #12040104 by zogwarg, translation #1830491 by CK
- La République de Turquie condamne fermement ces actes de violence.The Republic of Turkey strongly condemns these acts of violence.
- On part en vacances en Turquie cet été.We're going on vacation to Turkey this summer.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are at a butcher shop.
- ManonEst-ce qu'il reste de la dinde ?Is there any turkey left?
- LucasOui, j'ai une belle dinde fraîche.Yes, I have a beautiful fresh turkey.
- ManonParfait, je vais prendre cette dinde.Perfect, I will take this turkey.
- LucasTrès bien, Manon, je vous la prépare.Very well, Manon, I will prepare it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turkey” translations and entries dinde, dindon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dinde, dindon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
