When learning French, exploring how animals sound in this language can be both fun and surprising. Different cultures hear animal sounds in unique ways, and the French language is no exception. If you’ve ever wondered how a cow’s “moo” is expressed in French, you’re in for an interesting discovery. This playful and practical bit of knowledge can even help you connect with French speakers in a lighthearted way.
In this article, we’ll learn how to say “moo” in French, explore related expressions, and even try some simple exercises to practice. By the end, you’ll not only know the French word for “moo,” but you’ll also have fun using it in real-life situations!
Ways to Say “Moo” in French
In French, the sound a cow makes is written and pronounced differently than in English. It reflects how French speakers perceive the sound. Here are the ways to say “moo” in French with examples, pronunciation, and meanings.
1. Meuh
Pronunciation: [muh]
Meaning: The standard sound for “moo” in French.
In a Sentence:
- La vache dans la ferme fait « meuh » chaque matin. (The cow on the farm says “moo” every morning.)
- Les enfants imitent la vache en criant « meuh ». (The children imitate the cow by saying “moo.”)
2. Le mugissement
Pronunciation: [luh myu-zhee-smahn]
Meaning: The bellowing or mooing sound a cow makes.
In a Sentence:
- On entendait le mugissement des vaches dans le champ. (We heard the mooing of cows in the field.)
- Le mugissement des vaches annonçait l’heure de la traite. (The mooing of the cows signaled milking time.)
3. Brouter
Pronunciation: [broo-tay]
Meaning: While this means “to graze,” it is often used to describe cows with mooing sounds while eating.
In a Sentence:
- La vache broute et fait un bruit de « meuh » en mangeant. (The cow grazes and makes a “moo” sound while eating.)
- En regardant la prairie, on entend les vaches brouter et faire « meuh ». (Looking at the meadow, we hear cows grazing and mooing.)
4. Faire « meuh »
Pronunciation: [fehr muh]
Meaning: To “moo,” describing the action of making the sound.
In a Sentence:
- La vache fait « meuh » pour appeler son veau. (The cow goes “moo” to call its calf.)
- Les enfants rient quand la vache fait « meuh ». (The children laugh when the cow says “moo.”)
5. Cri de vache
Pronunciation: [kree duh vahsh]
Meaning: Cow’s cry or sound.
In a Sentence:
- Le cri de la vache résonne dans la vallée. (The cow’s moo echoes in the valley.)
- On peut entendre le cri de vache chaque matin à la ferme. (You can hear the cow’s moo every morning on the farm.)
6. La vache fait du bruit
Pronunciation: [la vahsh feh doo brwee]
Meaning: The cow is making noise.
In a Sentence:
- Quand elle est affamée, la vache fait du bruit. (When she is hungry, the cow makes noise.)
- Les fermiers savent que les vaches font du bruit quand elles veulent manger. (Farmers know cows make noise when they want to eat.)
7. Le bêlement de la vache
Pronunciation: [luh beh-leh-mahn duh lah vahsh]
Meaning: Mooing, referred to as the bleating of a cow.
In a Sentence:
- Le bêlement de la vache était fort ce matin. (The mooing of the cow was loud this morning.)
- Les enfants écoutent le bêlement des animaux à la ferme. (The kids listen to the mooing of animals at the farm.)
8. Imiter le « meuh »
Pronunciation: [ee-mee-tay luh muh]
Meaning: To imitate the “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- Les enfants aiment imiter le « meuh » des vaches. (Kids love to imitate the “moo” of cows.)
- Pendant le spectacle, on a entendu des enfants imiter le « meuh ». (During the show, we heard children imitating the “moo.”)
9. Bruit bovin
Pronunciation: [brwee boh-vahn]
Meaning: Bovine sound.
In a Sentence:
- Le bruit bovin est typique des fermes. (The bovine sound is typical of farms.)
- J’adore entendre le bruit bovin au lever du soleil. (I love hearing the bovine sound at sunrise.)
10. Ruminant sonore
Pronunciation: [roo-mee-nahn soh-nohr]
Meaning: A noisy ruminant, referring to the cow.
In a Sentence:
- Le ruminant sonore fait sa présence entendre dans la prairie. (The noisy ruminant makes its presence known in the meadow.)
- Les touristes rient en entendant le ruminant sonore. (The tourists laugh when they hear the noisy ruminant.)
11. Souffler un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [soo-flay uh muh]
Meaning: To let out a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- La vache a soufflé un « meuh » en voyant le fermier. (The cow let out a “moo” when it saw the farmer.)
- Chaque soir, elle souffle un « meuh » avant d’entrer dans la grange. (Each evening, she lets out a “moo” before entering the barn.)
12. Résonner un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [ray-zoh-nay uh muh]
Meaning: To resonate with a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- La vallée résonne d’un « meuh » chaque matin. (The valley resonates with a “moo” every morning.)
- Les montagnes renvoient le « meuh » des vaches. (The mountains echo the cows’ “moo.”)
13. Appeler avec un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [ah-puh-lay ah-vek uh muh]
Meaning: Calling with a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- La vache appelle son veau avec un « meuh ». (The cow calls her calf with a “moo.”)
- Chaque fermier connaît ce son lorsqu’une vache appelle avec un « meuh ». (Every farmer knows that sound when a cow calls with a “moo.”)
14. Son des pâturages
Pronunciation: [sohn dey pah-too-rahzh]
Meaning: Sound of the pasture.
In a Sentence:
- Le son des pâturages est apaisant le soir. (The sound of the pasture is calming in the evening.)
- Écoutez le son des pâturages après la pluie! (Listen to the sound of the pasture after the rain!)
15. Une plainte bovine
Pronunciation: [oon plant boh-veen]
Meaning: A bovine complaint.
In a Sentence:
- On dirait une plainte bovine venant de l’étable. (It sounds like a bovine complaint coming from the barn.)
- Les plaintes bovines augmentent quand il fait froid. (Bovine complaints increase when it’s cold.)
16. Mêler des « meuh »
Pronunciation: [meh-lay dey muh]
Meaning: Mixing “moo” sounds.
In a Sentence:
- Les vaches mêlent des « meuh » dans leur troupeau. (The cows mix “moo” sounds in their herd.)
- Il est amusant d’écouter les « meuh » mêlés des prairies. (It’s fun to listen to the mixed “moo” sounds of the meadows.)
17. Son typique d’une vache
Pronunciation: [sohn tee-peek d’oon vahsh]
Meaning: Typical cow sound.
In a Sentence:
- Ce son typique d’une vache est relaxant pour les visiteurs. (This typical cow sound is relaxing for visitors.)
- Le matin, on entend souvent le son typique d’une vache. (In the morning, you often hear the typical cow sound.)
18. Chanter un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [shahn-tay uh muh]
Meaning: Singing a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- La vache semble chanter un « meuh » mélodieux. (The cow seems to sing a melodic “moo.”)
- Chanter un « meuh » était un jeu amusant pour les enfants. (Singing a “moo” was a fun game for the kids.)
19. Bruit des vaches
Pronunciation: [brwee dey vahsh]
Meaning: The sound of cows.
In a Sentence:
- Le bruit des vaches résonne dans la campagne. (The sound of cows echoes in the countryside.)
- Je me réveille chaque jour avec le bruit des vaches. (I wake up every day to the sound of cows.)
20. Entendre un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [ahn-tahn-druh uh muh]
Meaning: Hearing a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- J’adore entendre un « meuh » quand je visite la ferme. (I love hearing a “moo” when I visit the farm.)
- Les enfants rient en entendant un « meuh » fort. (The kids laugh when they hear a loud “moo.”)
21. Faire une imitation de « meuh »
Pronunciation: [fehr oon ee-mee-tah-syon duh muh]
Meaning: To make an imitation of “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- Les enfants adorent faire une imitation de « meuh » pour s’amuser. (Children love making an imitation of “moo” for fun.)
- Pendant le cours de théâtre, on a fait une imitation de « meuh ». (During drama class, we did a “moo” imitation.)
22. Le murmure bovin
Pronunciation: [luh mur-mur boh-van]
Meaning: The bovine murmur.
In a Sentence:
- On entendait le murmure bovin dans les collines. (The bovine murmur could be heard in the hills.)
- Le murmure bovin est un son paisible. (The bovine murmur is a peaceful sound.)
23. Appeler le fermier
Pronunciation: [ah-puh-lay luh fehr-mee-ay]
Meaning: Calling the farmer.
In a Sentence:
- La vache appelle le fermier avec un « meuh » sonore. (The cow calls the farmer with a loud “moo.”)
- Chaque matin, les vaches appellent le fermier en faisant « meuh ». (Every morning, the cows call the farmer by mooing.)
24. Le son de l’étable
Pronunciation: [luh sohn duh lay-tah-bluh]
Meaning: The sound of the barn.
In a Sentence:
- Le son de l’étable inclut toujours des « meuh » apaisants. (The sound of the barn always includes calming “moos.”)
- Quand j’étais enfant, j’aimais entendre le son de l’étable. (When I was a child, I loved hearing the sound of the barn.)
25. Réclamer avec un « meuh »
Pronunciation: [ray-klah-may ah-vek uh muh]
Meaning: Demanding with a “moo.”
In a Sentence:
- La vache réclame son repas avec un « meuh » fort. (The cow demands her meal with a loud “moo.”)
- Quand le fermier est en retard, les vaches réclament avec des « meuh ». (When the farmer is late, the cows demand with “moos.”)
Other Ways to Say “Moo” in French
Here’s a table of alternative expressions for “moo” in French. These phrases include descriptions and contexts in which they can be used, along with example sentences.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Le cri de la vache | [luh kree duh lah vahsh] | The cry of the cow | On entendait le cri de la vache dans le pré. (We could hear the cry of the cow in the meadow.) |
| Mugir | [myu-zheer] | To moo | Les vaches commencent à mugir au lever du jour. (The cows start mooing at sunrise.) |
| L’appel bovin | [lah-pel boh-vahn] | The bovine call | L’appel bovin attire l’attention des fermiers. (The bovine call grabs the farmers’ attention.) |
| Le bruit de la prairie | [luh brwee duh lah prah-ree] | The sound of the meadow | Le bruit de la prairie est apaisant avec les vaches qui font « meuh ». (The sound of the meadow is soothing with cows mooing.) |
| L’écho d’un « meuh » | [lay-ko duh uh muh] | The echo of a “moo” | L’écho d’un « meuh » rebondit dans les collines. (The echo of a “moo” bounces in the hills.) |
| Le chant des pâturages | [luh shahn dey pah-too-rahzh] | The song of the pasture | Le chant des pâturages accompagne le coucher du soleil. (The song of the pasture accompanies the sunset.) |
| L’expression de la vache | [lek-spreh-syon duh lah vahsh] | The cow’s expression | L’expression de la vache est souvent un long « meuh ». (The cow’s expression is often a long “moo.”) |
| Une voix bovine | [oon vwah boh-veen] | A bovine voice | La voix bovine résonne dans le silence de la nuit. (The bovine voice echoes in the silence of the night.) |
| Les murmures des troupeaux | [lay mur-mur dey troo-poh] | The murmurs of the herd | Les murmures des troupeaux sont un bruit typique de la campagne. (The murmurs of the herd are a typical countryside sound.) |
| Appeler avec un bruit | [ah-puh-lay ah-vek uh brwee] | Calling with a sound | La vache appelle avec un bruit fort quand elle a faim. (The cow calls with a loud sound when it is hungry.) |
| Les sons de la campagne | [lay sohn duh lah kahm-pah-nyuh] | The sounds of the countryside | Les sons de la campagne incluent toujours des « meuh ». (The sounds of the countryside always include “moos.”) |
| Mélodie de la ferme | [may-loh-dee duh lah fehrm] | Melody of the farm | La mélodie de la ferme commence avec un « meuh ». (The melody of the farm starts with a “moo.”) |
| L’appel sonore | [lah-pel soh-nohr] | The loud call | L’appel sonore d’une vache peut être entendu à des kilomètres. (A cow’s loud call can be heard miles away.) |
| Le gémissement de la vache | [luh zhay-mee-smah duh lah vahsh] | The moan of the cow | Le gémissement de la vache indique qu’elle est stressée. (The cow’s moan shows that it is stressed.) |
| Son des prés | [sohn dey preh] | Sound of the fields | Les vaches remplissent le son des prés avec leurs « meuh ». (The cows fill the sound of the fields with their “moos.”) |
| Un cri guttural | [uh kree goo-too-rahl] | A guttural cry | La vache pousse un cri guttural en réponse au fermier. (The cow lets out a guttural cry in response to the farmer.) |
| Le bruit naturel des vaches | [luh brwee nah-too-rehl dey vahsh] | The natural sound of cows | Le bruit naturel des vaches accompagne les fermiers au travail. (The natural sound of cows accompanies the farmers at work.) |
| Bruit du troupeau | [brwee doo troo-poh] | Sound of the herd | On entend le bruit du troupeau partout dans le champ. (The sound of the herd can be heard all over the field.) |
| Appeler avec un meuglement | [ah-puh-lay ah-vek uh muh-gluh-mahn] | Calling with a moo | La vache appelle avec un meuglement sonore. (The cow calls with a loud moo.) |
| Voix des prairies | [vwah dey prah-ree] | Voice of the meadows | La voix des prairies est dominée par les « meuh » des vaches. (The voice of the meadows is dominated by the cows’ moos.) |
Response to “Moo” in French
Here are some responses you can use if someone playfully says “meuh” or refers to a cow’s sound in French:
1. Toi aussi, meuh !
Pronunciation: [twa oh-see, muh]
Meaning: You too, moo! (Playful response)
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh ! (Moo!)
Person 2: Toi aussi, meuh ! (You too, moo!)
2. C’est un bon meuh !
Pronunciation: [say uh boh muh]
Meaning: That’s a good moo!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: C’est un bon meuh ! (That’s a good moo!)
3. Tu imites bien la vache.
Pronunciation: [ty ee-meet byehn lah vahsh]
Meaning: You imitate the cow well.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Tu imites bien la vache. (You imitate the cow well.)
4. Et toi, tu fais quoi ?
Pronunciation: [ay twa, ty feh kwah]
Meaning: And what are you doing? (Playful or curious response)
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Et toi, tu fais quoi ? (And what are you doing?)
5. C’est marrant, continue !
Pronunciation: [say mah-rahn, kohn-tee-new]
Meaning: It’s funny, keep going!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: C’est marrant, continue ! (It’s funny, keep going!)
6. Ah, une vache parle !
Pronunciation: [ah, oon vahsh parl]
Meaning: Oh, a cow is talking!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Ah, une vache parle ! (Oh, a cow is talking!)
7. Je t’entends, petite vache.
Pronunciation: [juh tahn-tahn, puh-teet vahsh]
Meaning: I hear you, little cow.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Je t’entends, petite vache. (I hear you, little cow.)
8. Tu fais mieux que la vraie vache !
Pronunciation: [ty feh myuh kuh lah vreh vahsh]
Meaning: You’re better than a real cow!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Tu fais mieux que la vraie vache ! (You’re better than a real cow!)
9. On dirait une vraie ferme ici.
Pronunciation: [ohn dee-ray oon vreh fehrm ee-see]
Meaning: It feels like a real farm here.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: On dirait une vraie ferme ici. (It feels like a real farm here.)
10. Arrête, tu vas réveiller les autres !
Pronunciation: [ah-reht, ty vah reh-veh-yay layz oh-truh]
Meaning: Stop, you’ll wake up the others!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Meuh !
Person 2: Arrête, tu vas réveiller les autres ! (Stop, you’ll wake up the others!)
Exercise to Practice “Moo” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises to practice the different ways to say “moo” in French. Each exercise includes a sentence in French where you need to insert the correct word or phrase. The meanings of the sentences are also provided.
Fill-in-the-Blanks:
- Chaque matin, les vaches dans le champ font un grand « ______ ».
(Every morning, the cows in the field make a loud “moo.”) - Le fermier entend le ______ des vaches dans l’étable.
(The farmer hears the mooing of cows in the barn.) - Les enfants adorent imiter le ______ des vaches.
(The children love to imitate the moo of cows.) - Quand elle a faim, la vache pousse un ______ sonore.
(When she is hungry, the cow lets out a loud moo.) - Le ______ de la vallée est rempli de sons de vaches.
(The echo of the valley is filled with the sounds of cows.) - Les touristes trouvent que le ______ bovin est très apaisant.
(Tourists find the bovine sound very soothing.) - À la ferme, on entend souvent le ______ des troupeaux.
(At the farm, you often hear the sound of the herds.) - La vache appelle son veau avec un petit ______.
(The cow calls her calf with a soft moo.) - Le matin, le ______ des vaches résonne dans la campagne.
(In the morning, the moo of the cows echoes in the countryside.) - Pendant la visite, les enfants écoutent le ______ typique des vaches.
(During the visit, the children listen to the typical sound of cows.) - Le fermier explique que le ______ des vaches signale l’heure de la traite.
(The farmer explains that the moo of the cows signals milking time.) - En regardant les prairies, on entend les ______ des vaches au loin.
(Looking at the meadows, we hear the moos of cows in the distance.)
Answers:
- Meuh
- mugissement
- « meuh »
- cri
- écho
- chant
- murmure
- « meuh »
- son
- bruit
- appel
- voix
Conclusion
Learning how to say “moo” in French opens a fun and creative way to explore the French language. Understanding sounds like “meuh” and related expressions allows you to better appreciate cultural differences in how languages interpret everyday things like animal noises. It’s not just educational but also a playful way to connect with others.
Whether you’re visiting a farm in France or practicing with friends, using these expressions can make your French language learning journey more enjoyable. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel confident using these phrases in real-life settings. Remember, even small steps like learning animal sounds help you grow in your language skills!
