French Conversation · Level 10
88 words
French word
gorille
Pronunciation
IPA/goʁij/
Meaning
- masculine noungorilla
Example
Regarde le gorille au zoo.
Look at the gorilla at the zoo.
More examples
Un gorille adulte peut sembler impressionnant.
An adult gorilla can seem impressive.
Core concept
A powerful, heavy-bodied ape with long arms and a broad torso.
Common phrases
voir un gorille
see a gorilla
un gorille au zoo
a gorilla at the zoo
un gorille adulte
an adult gorilla
Similar words
singe: A small monkey that moves actively through the trees.
chimpanzé: A medium-sized, intelligent ape that lives in groups.
orang-outan: A large ape with long arms and reddish-brown fur that lives in trees.
Definition in French
Mammifère primate d'Afrique centrale de grande taille, ressemblant à un singe anthropoïde, caractérisé par sa force et son torse large.
Word origin
Greek Γόριλλαι supplied the name that became Latin gorilla and then French gorille as knowledge of the animal spread.
Usage tips
- Applied to a person, gorille can mean a burly man or bodyguard and may sound insulting outside that context.
Other meanings
- bodyguardnoun
- brutenoun