nénuphar
/ne.ny.faʁ/
The English phrase water lily is translated into French as nénuphar.
The term nénuphar is used to refer to any plant belonging to the Nymphaeaceae family.
Meaning: Any members of Nymphaeaceae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form, water lilies, use nénuphars.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ne.ny.faʁ/.
Did you know?
- The French word nénuphar is a phonetic adaptation of the Ancient Egyptian word for the blue lotus, which was a symbol of rebirth.
- Claude Monet's famous series of paintings known in English as 'Water Lilies' is titled Les Nymphéas in French.
- Unlike the English 'lily', which is a very broad term for many flower types, the French nénuphar is strictly reserved for the aquatic variety.
Examples in context
- Les feuilles de nénuphar flottent sur l'eau.The leaves of the water lily float on the surface of the water.This sentence is useful for describing how the leaves of a nénuphar behave on the water surface.Tatoeba #2965238 by Wakano, translation #9990516 by AlanF_US
- Marie était émerveillée par les nénuphars qui flottaient sur l'étang du jardin.Marie was amazed by the water lilies floating on the garden pond.
- Les fleurs de nénuphar égayaient l'étang de leur éclat coloré.The water lily flowers brightened up the pond with their colorful splendor.
- Il y a un beau nénuphar blanc.There is a beautiful white water lily.
- Elle admire le nénuphar dans l'étang.She admires the water lily in the pond.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are walking through a botanical garden.
- GabrielQu'est-ce que c'est, ce nénuphar ?What is this water lily?
- ChloéC'est une plante aquatique, Gabriel.It is an aquatic plant, Gabriel.
- GabrielLa fleur est vraiment magnifique.The flower is truly magnificent.
- ChloéOui, elle est très colorée.Yes, it is very colorful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nénuphar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
