French word

bâillement

Pronunciation

IPA/bajəmɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounyawn

Example

J'ai entendu un bâillement pendant le film.

I heard a yawn during the movie.

Illustration for bâillement (yawn)

More examples

Elle a essayé de retenir son bâillement pendant la réunion.

She tried to hold back her yawn during the meeting.

Core concept

An involuntary open-mouth intake of breath that can signal fatigue or boredom in a scene.

Common phrases

  • un bâillement du matin

    a morning yawn

  • un bâillement bruyant

    a loud yawn

Similar words

fatigue: A state of needing rest and lacking energy.
sommeil: The state of being asleep.
ennui: A feeling of having no interest and finding time dull.
soupir: A short breath or sound expressing an emotion.

Definition in French

Action d'ouvrir la bouche involontairement en inspirant profondément, souvent liée à la fatigue ou à l'ennui.

Word origin

Bâillement comes directly from bâiller, with -ment turning the verb into a noun naming its action.

Usage tips

  • In J'ai entendu un bâillement, the article is un because bâillement is masculine, even though the English noun "yawn" has no gender.

Related words

Word lists with this word