French Conversation · Level 34
75 words
French word
tatouage
Pronunciation
IPA/tatwaʒ/
Meaning
- masculine nountattoo
Example
Il a un tatouage sur le bras.
He has a tattoo on his arm.
More examples
Elle montre son tatouage à ses amis.
She shows her tattoo to her friends.
Core concept
A permanent body drawing made by pigment that remains embedded in the dermis.
Common phrases
avoir un tatouage
have a tattoo
un tatouage sur le bras
a tattoo on the arm
enlever un tatouage
remove a tattoo
Similar words
piercing: Body decoration involving piercing the skin or cartilage to wear jewelry.
henné: Temporary skin decoration drawn with a plant-based dye.
maquillage: Temporary coloring or shaping of the face or body for cosmetic effect.
Definition in French
Dessin corporel permanent obtenu par l'implantation d'un pigment dans le derme.
Word origin
The noun tatouage comes from tatouer plus -age, and tatouer entered French through English tattoo, whose ultimate source is Polynesian tatau.
Usage tips
- Tatouer takes a direct person object, as in tatouer quelqu'un, while se tatouer means tattooing oneself.
Related words
- tatouertattooverb
- tatoueurtattoo artistnoun
- tatouétattooedadjective