French word

caillou

Pronunciation

IPA/kaju/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpebble

Example

Fais attention, tu as un caillou dans ta chaussure.

Be careful, you have a pebble in your shoe.

Illustration for caillou (pebble)

More examples

Je sens un caillou quand je marche.

I feel a pebble when I walk.

Core concept

A small, uneven rock lying loose underfoot or among river stones.

Common phrases

  • avoir un caillou dans la chaussure

    have a pebble in one's shoe

  • marcher sur un caillou

    walk on a pebble

  • enlever un caillou de la chaussure

    remove a pebble from the shoe

Similar words

pierre: A substantial stone suitable for building or carving.
galet: A small, rounded stone smoothed by flowing water or waves.
gravier: Fine stones spread over ground or used in paving.
rocher: A huge, rough stone mass on a cliff or along a coast.

Definition in French

Petit morceau de roche, de forme irrégulière, que l'on trouve sur le sol ou dans le lit d'une rivière.

Word origin

The French noun caillou is inherited from Old French caillou, while its deeper origin remains uncertain.

Usage tips

  • Caillou is masculine, and its plural is cailloux, pronounced like the singular.

Word lists with this word