jumeau
/ʒy.mo/masculine
The French word for twin is jumeau. Wiktionary also lists jumelle.
Meaning: either of two people who shared the same uterus, or of two similar or closely related objects (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| jumeau | /ʒy.mo/ | masculine |
| jumelle | /ʒy.mɛl/ | feminine |
The term refers to either of two people who shared the same uterus, or of two similar or closely related objects.
Which one should you use?
Use the masculine jumeau for a male twin and the feminine jumelle for a female twin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of jumeau is jumeaux. The feminine plural form of jumelle is jumelles. Des jumeaux identiques means identical twins and des jumeaux non-identiques means non-identical twins.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʒy.mo/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The French word for binoculars is jumelles, which literally translates to 'female twins'.
- The French word jumelle can describe any two identical objects, such as villes jumelles for sister cities.
- The word jumeau shares its DNA with the English word 'gemini', which refers to the constellation of the twins.
Examples in context
- J'ai un vrai jumeau.I have an identical twin.This sentence uses jumeau to express having an identical twin.Tatoeba #1335609 by sacredceltic, translation #249806 by CK
- Ils ont des jumelles.They have twin daughters.This sentence uses jumelle to say they have twin daughters.Tatoeba #337372 by sysko, translation #305080 by CK
- Layla a des jumelles.Layla has got twin girls.This sentence uses jumelle to show Layla has twin girls.Tatoeba #6394676 by Micsmithel, translation #6394593 by OsoHombre
- Mon frère est mon jumeau.My brother is my twin.
- Ma sœur est ma jumelle.My sister is my twin.
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are looking at a photo of a boy and his brother.
- ManonC'est le jumeau de Lucas ?Is this Lucas's twin?
- NathanOui, c'est son jumeau.Yes, it is his twin.
- ManonIls se ressemblent beaucoup.They look a lot alike.
- NathanC'est vrai, ils sont identiques.It's true, they are identical.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “twin” translations and entries jumeau, jumelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jumeau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
