baleine
/ba.lɛn/feminine
The French word for whale is baleine.
The term refers to the large sea mammal.
Meaning: large sea mammal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun baleine is feminine, so it is used with the feminine articles la or une.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ba.lɛn/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term 'baleine' is also used in French to describe the 'stays' or structural components of a corset, which are often called 'baleines'.
- While English uses 'whale' for many species, French distinguishes between baleine and cachalot for the sperm whale, which is not technically a baleen whale.
- In French slang, calling someone 'une baleine' is a harsh way to describe them as being very large or overweight.
Examples in context
- Tom est une baleine.Tom is a whale.This sentence is useful for describing someone using baleine.Tatoeba #14035191 by Myrano_, translation #14035154 by Myrano_
- As-tu déjà vu une baleine ?Have you ever seen a whale?This sentence is useful for asking about seeing baleine.Tatoeba #470585 by sacredceltic, translation #69421 by CK
- La baleine est un mammifère.A whale is a mammal.This sentence is useful for defining the animal using baleine.Tatoeba #8863 by sacredceltic, translation #238461 by CK
- La baleine bleue est le plus grand animal du monde.The blue whale is the largest animal in the world.
- J'ai vu une baleine énorme aujourd'hui !I saw a huge whale today!
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are on a boat watching the ocean.
- ManonRegarde, Gabriel, une baleine !Look, Gabriel, a whale!
- GabrielC'est incroyable, elle est immense.It's incredible, it is huge.
- ManonLa baleine remonte à la surface.The whale is coming to the surface.
- GabrielC'est un spectacle magnifique.It is a magnificent sight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whale” translations and entries baleine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
