French word

guêpe

Pronunciation

IPA/gɛp/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwasp

Example

Attention, il y a une guêpe dans la pièce.

Watch out, there's a wasp in the room.

Illustration for guêpe (wasp)

More examples

Une guêpe m'a tourné autour de la tête au parc.

A wasp flew around my head at the park.

Core concept

A slender striped social insect circling its nest and able to sting repeatedly when threatened.

Common phrases

  • avoir peur des guêpes

    be afraid of wasps

  • chasser les guêpes

    chase away wasps

  • piqûre de guêpe

    wasp sting

Similar words

abeille: A round-bodied insect that collects flower nectar and pollen, with some kinds producing honey.
frelon: A large, strong stinging insect that becomes especially dangerous while protecting its nest.
bourdon: A large, stout bee that makes a low buzzing sound and gathers nectar near flowers.

Definition in French

Insecte social au corps rayé qui défend son nid en piquant et qui peut infliger plusieurs piqûres.

Word origin

French guêpe descends from Latin vespa through Old French forms such as guespe.

Usage tips

  • Guêpe is feminine, so standard references use une guêpe and cette guêpe.

Related words

  • guêpiera hornet's nestnoun

Word lists with this word