French Conversation · Level 69
60 words
French word
aboyer
Pronunciation
IPA/abwaje/
Meaning
- verbbark
Example
Le chien aboie fort la nuit.
The dog barks loudly at night.
More examples
Les voisins se plaignent quand le chien aboie toute la nuit.
The neighbors complain when the dog barks all night.
Core concept
A dog sending out repeated, sharp barks, sometimes directed at a target.
Common phrases
aboyer après quelqu'un
bark at someone
aboyer fort
bark loudly
aboyer toute la nuit
bark all night
Similar words
japper: To bark repeatedly in short, high-pitched bursts.
grogner: To make a low growling sound that shows displeasure or wariness.
hurler: To howl at length so the sound carries over a distance.
Definition in French
Signifie émettre un cri répétitif et perçant, surtout chez les chiens; on peut aussi l'employer suivi d'une préposition pour indiquer la cible.
Word origin
Aboyer comes from Old French aboier, a sound-based formation that imitates or evokes a dog's bark rather than a securely established Latin root.
Usage tips
- Aboyer is intransitive, so a target normally follows a preposition, as in aboyer après quelqu'un for barking at someone.