morse
/mɔʁs/masculine
The English word walrus is translated into French as morse.
morse is a masculine noun used to refer to the large Arctic marine mammal.
Meaning: large Arctic marine mammal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/mɔʁs/
Did you know?
- The French word morse was borrowed from the Russian word морж, which originally came from Northern Sami. This reflects the historical influence of Arctic trade and exploration on the French language.
- While morse refers to the animal, the French use the word mors to describe a bit placed in a horse's mouth. These two words are homophones but have completely different meanings.
- If you describe someone as having une peau de morse, you are commenting on their thick or wrinkled skin rather than their strength.
Examples in context
- L'odobène est un mammifère marin fascinant.The walrus is a fascinating marine mammal.
- As-tu déjà vu un morse dans un zoo?Have you ever seen a walrus in a zoo?
- Les morses sont d'incroyables animaux!Walruses are incredible animals!
- Le morse est très grand.The walrus is very large.
- J'ai vu un morse dans le livre.I saw a walrus in the book.
- Ce morse a de longues défenses.This walrus has long tusks.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are visiting an aquarium.
- GabrielRegarde, Manon, c'est un morse !Look, Manon, it's a walrus!
- ManonIl est vraiment énorme, Gabriel.He is really huge, Gabriel.
- GabrielIl adore nager dans l'eau froide.He loves swimming in cold water.
- ManonC'est un animal fascinant.It is a fascinating animal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “walrus” translations and entries morse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
