How do you say "swallow" in French?

avaler

Verb Noun

In French, "swallow" is avaler.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free French learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Say a-va-LAY, with stress on the final syllable and a clear open ay sound.

Grammar notes

avaler is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Ça fait mal d’avaler quand je suis malade.

It hurts to swallow when I'm ill.

Test your French knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember avaler

Avaler sounds like 'a valley', picture food sliding down a valley-shaped throat.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about avaler

How do you pronounce avaler?

Say a-va-LAY, with stress on the final syllable and a clear open ay sound.

Is avaler formal or casual?

avaler is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is avaler used in French?

avaler is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Ça fait mal d’avaler quand je suis malade. (It hurts to swallow when I'm ill.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Swallow" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the French language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town