French Conversation · Level 6
87 words
French word
orang-outan
Pronunciation
IPA/oʁɑ̃utɑ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounorangutan
Example
L'orang-outan mange une banane.
The orangutan eats a banana.
More examples
La femelle orang-outan prend soin de son petit.
The female orangutan takes care of her young.
Core concept
A solitary forest ape with long arms, reddish fur, and a life spent among high branches.
Common phrases
un orang-outan sauvage
a wild orangutan
une femelle orang-outan
a female orangutan
un orang-outan adulte
an adult orangutan
Similar words
singe: A small to medium-sized primate that often moves through trees and may have a tail.
chimpanzé: A social ape known for tool use and complex group behavior.
gorille: A very large ape that often lives in groups on the ground.
gibbon: A small ape with long arms that swings swiftly between trees.
Definition in French
Espèce de grand singe au pelage roux, originaire des forêts de Bornéo et de Sumatra, adaptée à la vie dans la canopée et plutôt solitaire.
Word origin
French orang-outan preserves a form borrowed from Malay orang hutan through Dutch, where the source was adapted as orang-oetan.
Usage tips
- In running speech, the article is l'orang-outan, while the noun remains masculine in forms such as un orang-outan.