French word

chant

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsong

Example

J'aime le chant des oiseaux.

I love birdsong.

Illustration for chant (song)

More examples

Le chant religieux résonnait dans l'église.

The religious chant echoed in the church.

Core concept

A living voice or melody gathered into one audible stream, from a bird, a person, or a religious group.

Common phrases

  • le chant des oiseaux

    birdsong

  • un chant d'amour

    love song

Similar words

voix: The voice or vocal sound produced by a person or animal.
chanson: A musical work performed as a song with words and melody.
air: A brief, memorable tune that recurs in a song.
mélodie: A sequence of connected notes that forms a recognizable melody.

Definition in French

Son produit par le fait de chanter, entendu comme la voix ou la mélodie émise par un être vivant, y compris le chant des oiseaux et les chants religieux.

Word origin

French chant developed from Old French chant, which comes from Latin cantus, meaning singing or song.

Usage tips

  • Chant is masculine, so the usual definite article is le, as in le chant des oiseaux.

Other meanings

  • singingnoun
  • hymnnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word