French word

siffler

Pronunciation

IPA/sifle/

Meaning

  • verbwhistle

Example

Il siffle en traversant la rue.

He whistles while crossing the street.

Illustration for siffler (whistle)

More examples

Il siffle un air en cuisinant.

He whistles a tune while cooking.

Core concept

A narrow stream of breath produces a high whistle, whether it carries a melody, a call, or a reaction.

Common phrases

  • siffler un air

    whistle a tune

  • siffler pour appeler

    whistle to call

Similar words

appeler: To call someone by using the voice or a signal.
souffler: To breathe air out through the mouth or nose.
huer: To express disapproval or condemnation through loud crowd jeers.

Definition in French

Produire un son aigu en soufflant avec les lèvres, soit pour jouer une mélodie, soit pour attirer l'attention.

Word origin

Siffler is an inherited French sound-imitative verb from Old French sifler, formed around the noise that whistling produces.

Usage tips

  • With a person as its object, siffler quelqu'un can mean whistling to call that person, while siffler an artist can mean booing the performance.

Other meanings

  • booverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word