ukulélé
/ju.ku.le.le/masculine
The English word "ukulele" is translated into French as ukulélé.
ukulélé is a masculine noun referring to the small four-stringed guitar.
Meaning: small four-stringed guitar (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the ability to play the instrument, use the partitive article du ukulélé (a combination of de and le) instead of the English "the".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ju.ku.le.le/. It has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- If a French musician wants to say they are 'strumming' the ukulélé, they often use the verb gratter, which literally means 'to scratch'.
- In French, the word ukulélé is often used by musicians to refer to the player as a ukuléléiste, a term that is much less common in English.
- French speakers often associate the ukulélé with the 'belle époque' influence of exoticism, leading to its use in early 20th-century cabaret music.
Examples in context
- Tom a demandé à Mary de lui apprendre à jouer du ukulélé.Tom asked Mary to teach him how to play the ukulele.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the phrase ukulélé when talking about learning to play the instrument.Tatoeba #6846625 by GB3, translation #6664933 by CK
- Je joue du ukulélé.I play the ukulele.
- J'ai acheté un super uke aujourd'hui.I bought an awesome uke today.
- J'ai acheté un nouveau ukulélé hier.I bought a new ukulele yesterday.
- Le son de cet ukulélé est très doux.The sound of this ukulele is very soft.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are at a music store.
- HugoEst-ce que tu aimes ce ukulélé, Chloé ?Do you like this ukulele, Chloé?
- ChloéOui, il est vraiment joli !Yes, it is really pretty!
- HugoJe pense que je vais le prendre.I think I am going to take it.
- ChloéC'est une excellente idée pour toi.That is an excellent idea for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ukulele” translations and entries ukulélé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
