French word

entonner

Pronunciation

IPA/ɑ̃tone/

Meaning

  • verbstart singing

Example

Elle entonne le refrain.

She starts singing the chorus.

Illustration for entonner (start singing)

More examples

Au bistrot, il entonne une vieille chanson que tout le monde connaît.

At the bistro, he starts singing an old song that everyone knows.

Core concept

A lead voice launching the first line of a song so others can join in.

Common phrases

  • entonner le refrain

    start singing the refrain

  • entonner une chanson

    start singing a song

  • entonner un couplet

    start singing a verse

Similar words

chanter: Sing a melody or song lyrics aloud.
entamer: Begin an activity or undertaking.
lancer: Start a chant or slogan to prompt others.
débuter: Begin a performance or a piece of work.

Definition in French

Commencer à chanter une chanson, un refrain ou une formule répétée, souvent pour lancer un chant collectif.

Word origin

French entonner combines en- with ton, from Latin tonus, and developed the sense of starting a song by giving it its opening tone.

Usage tips

  • Entonner is normally transitive: entonner une chanson, un refrain, or un hymne takes the song directly without a preposition.

Other meanings

  • start chantingverb
  • sing outverb

Word lists with this word