French Conversation · Level 66
60 words
French word
corbeau
Pronunciation
IPA/kɔʁbo/
Meaning
- masculine nouncrow
Example
Un corbeau vole au-dessus du parc.
A crow flies over the park.
More examples
On a vu un corbeau sur le toit du bâtiment.
We saw a crow on the building's rooftop.
Core concept
A black, observant corvid that can stand metaphorically for an anonymous source of accusations.
Common phrases
un corbeau sur le toit
a crow on the rooftop
Similar words
corneille: A black bird commonly found in cities and parks, sometimes in flocks.
oiseau: A broad term for a feathered animal capable of flight.
pie: A black-and-white bird with a conspicuously long tail, often near homes.
Definition in French
Oiseau de grande taille au plumage noir, appartenant à la famille des corvidés; par extension, personne ou lettre anonyme qui dénonce.
Word origin
Corbeau comes from Latin corvus through historical Old French development, and the anonymous-letter sense is an extension based on the bird's name.
Usage tips
- The figurative use is context-dependent and marked, so an unqualified corbeau normally refers to the bird in ordinary speech.
Other meanings
- ravennoun
- anonymous letter writernoun