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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "thunder" in French?
le tonnerre
In French, "thunder" is le tonnerre.
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Pronunciation
The trick with tonnerre is that the r is growled lightly at the back of the throat rather than rolled; the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced.
Grammar notes
le tonnerre is masculine. Its plural is tonnerres.
Example sentence
Un fort tonnerre grondait dans le ciel.
Loud thunder rumbled across the sky.
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How to remember le tonnerre
Whisper tonnerre, then say it at normal volume, then almost shout it, moving from careful to natural.
Related words
- rainbow l' arc-en-ciel
- storm la tempête
- hurricane l' ouragan
- tornado la tornade
- frost le gel
- drought la sécheresse
- flood l' inondation
- earthquake le tremblement de terre
- volcano le volcan
Browse all French words in the glossary.
Questions about le tonnerre
How do you pronounce le tonnerre?
The trick with tonnerre is that the r is growled lightly at the back of the throat rather than rolled; the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced.
Is le tonnerre masculine or feminine?
le tonnerre is masculine. le tonnerre is masculine. Its plural is tonnerres.
How is le tonnerre used in French?
le tonnerre is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: Un fort tonnerre grondait dans le ciel. (Loud thunder rumbled across the sky.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
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"Thunder" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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