French word

bétail

Pronunciation

IPA/betaj/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlivestock

Example

Il y a beaucoup de bétail dans cette ferme.

There is a lot of livestock on this farm.

Illustration for bétail (livestock)

More examples

Les agriculteurs élèvent du bétail pour la viande et le lait.

Farmers raise livestock for meat and milk.

Core concept

A farm herd treated as one stock of animals.

Common phrases

  • le bétail

    livestock

  • élever du bétail

    raise livestock

  • un troupeau de bétail

    a herd of livestock

Similar words

animal: Any animal that is alive, whether wild or kept by people.
bête: A short, colloquial term for an animal.
troupeau: A group of animals belonging to the same species.

Definition in French

Désigne les animaux d'une exploitation agricole élevés en troupeaux, comme les vaches, les moutons ou les porcs.

Word origin

Bétail comes through Old French bestail from bête, with the collective ending -ail, and ultimately derives from Latin bestia, meaning animal.

Usage tips

  • Bétail is masculine and normally appears as le bétail, du bétail, or beaucoup de bétail rather than with a regular plural ending.

Opposites

Word lists with this word