French word

cigale

Pronunciation

IPA/sigal/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncicada

Example

Les cigales chantent en été.

Cicadas sing in summer.

Illustration for cigale (cicada)

More examples

On entend le chant des cigales l'après-midi en été.

You can hear cicada song in the afternoon during summer.

Core concept

A long-hidden underground larva becoming a noisy winged summer insect above ground.

Common phrases

  • le chant des cigales

    cicada song

  • le bruit des cigales

    sound of cicadas

Similar words

grillon: A small ground-dwelling insect that sings among grass in the evening or at night.
insecte: A broad group of small animals characterized by legs and antennae.

Definition in French

Insecte aux ailes membraneuses dont la larve vit de longues années sous terre et dont l'adulte produit un chant strident à la surface en été.

Word origin

The French noun cigale is inherited through Old French cicale from the Latin form cicada.

Usage tips

  • As a feminine noun, cigale takes la or une, as in la cigale and une cigale.

Word lists with this word