ondulé
/ɔ̃.dy.le/
The English word "wavy" is translated into French as ondulé.
ondulé is an adjective used to describe something that is full of waves.
Meaning: full of waves (adj)
Which one should you use?
While ondulé describes something wavy, if you want to describe hair that is curly, you should use bouclé.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: ondulé is the masculine singular form, ondulée is the feminine singular form, ondulés is the masculine plural form and ondulées is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɔ̃.dy.le/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the word for 'wave' as in a greeting is signaler or faire un signe, not onduler. To onduler typically refers to a physical undulating motion, like a dancer or a flag in the wind.
- The word ondulation shares a root with the English word 'undulate'. Both derive from the Latin unda, meaning 'wave'.
- In French geography, the term relief ondulé is a technical way to describe rolling hills. This transforms the visual 'wavy' adjective into a specific topographical descriptor.
Examples in context
- J'ai les cheveux ondulés.I have wavy hair.This sentence is useful for describing having wavy hair.Tatoeba #10745475 by Nyans, translation #5852660 by CK
- Shona a les cheveux ondulés.Shona has wavy hair.Tatoeba #3692637 by Elliv, translation #3121921 by CN
- Il passe sa main dans ses cheveux bruns et ondulés.He's running his hand through his wavy, brown hair.This sentence is useful for describing someone running their hand through wavy, brown hair.Tatoeba #8939540 by lbdx, translation #4286640 by mervert1
- La mer était calme et ses cheveux étaient ondulés.The sea was calm and her hair was wavy.
- les lignes ondoyantesWavy lines
- J'ai une peinture avec des lignes ondoyantes qui apportent une sensation de mouvement.I have a painting with wavy lines that create a sense of movement.
- Elle arbore une coiffure ondulée qui encadre son visage de manière élégante.She sports a wavy hairstyle that elegantly frames her face.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are talking about hair styles.
- ChloéTu préfères les cheveux bouclés ou ondulés ?Do you prefer curly or wavy hair?
- GabrielJe préfère le style ondulé, c'est plus naturel.I prefer the wavy style, it's more natural.
- ChloéMoi aussi, je trouve ça très joli.Me too, I think it's very pretty.
- GabrielC'est vrai, ça va bien à tout le monde.That's true, it looks good on everyone.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ondulé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
