Animal actions vocabulary covers the verbs and phrases needed to describe what animals do in French. These include everyday movements, sounds, and behaviors that are useful for storytelling, conversation, or writing about animals.

Common Animal Actions

These are general verbs that describe typical actions animals perform.

French Singular	French Plural	Example (French)	Example (English)
courir	courir	Le chien court dans le parc.	The dog runs in the park.
sauter	sauter	Le chat saute sur la table.	The cat jumps on the table.
voler	voler	L’oiseau vole dans le ciel.	The bird flies in the sky.
nager	nager	Le poisson nage dans l’aquarium.	The fish swims in the aquarium.
marcher	marcher	L’éléphant marche lentement.	The elephant walks slowly.
ramper	ramper	Le serpent rampe sur le sol.	The snake crawls on the ground.
grimper	grimper	Le singe grimpe aux arbres.	The monkey climbs trees.
creuser	creuser	Le chien creuse un trou.	The dog digs a hole.
chasser	chasser	Le tigre chasse la proie.	The tiger hunts the prey.
dormir	dormir	Le chat dort sur le canapé.	The cat sleeps on the couch.

Animal Sounds

These verbs describe the sounds animals make.

French Singular	French Plural	Example (French)	Example (English)
aboyer	aboyer	Le chien aboie fort.	The dog barks loudly.
miauler	miauler	Le chat miaule la nuit.	The cat meows at night.
rugir	rugir	Le lion rugit dans la savane.	The lion roars in the savannah.
hennir	hennir	Le cheval hennit dans le pré.	The horse neighs in the meadow.
bêler	bêler	La chèvre bêle tôt le matin.	The goat bleats early in the morning.
coasser	coasser	La grenouille coasse près de l’étang.	The frog croaks near the pond.
caqueter	caqueter	La poule caquette dans la cour.	The hen clucks in the yard.
siffler	siffler	Le merle siffle au printemps.	The blackbird whistles in spring.
coasser	coasser	La corneille coasse sur la branche.	The crow caws on the branch.

Specialized Behaviors

These verbs describe more specific or advanced animal behaviors.

French Singular	French Plural	Example (French)	Example (English)
butiner	butiner	L’abeille butine les fleurs.	The bee gathers nectar from flowers.
tisser	tisser	L’araignée tisse une toile.	The spider weaves a web.
migrer	migrer	Les oies migrent vers le sud.	The geese migrate south.
hiberner	hiberner	Les ours hibernent en hiver.	Bears hibernate in winter.
s’accoupler	s’accoupler	Les animaux s’accouplent au printemps.	Animals mate in spring.
muer	muer	Le serpent mue sa peau.	The snake sheds its skin.
pondre	pondre	La poule pond des œufs.	The hen lays eggs.
éclore	éclore	Les œufs éclosent au bout de deux semaines.	The eggs hatch after two weeks.

Bears hibernate in winter.

Les ours dorment en hiver.

Les ours hibernent en hiver.

Les ours migrent en hiver.

Les ours chassent en hiver.

Les ours hibernent en hiver.

"Hibernent" means "hibernate," a specific seasonal behavior. While bears do sleep and sometimes migrate in a broader sense, "hibernent" is the precise term.

Reflexive Actions

These verbs are used with reflexive pronouns to describe actions animals do to themselves.

French Singular	French Plural	Example (French)	Example (English)
se laver	se laver	Le chat se lave avec sa langue.	The cat cleans itself with its tongue.
se gratter	se gratter	Le chien se gratte derrière l’oreille.	The dog scratches itself behind the ear.
se cacher	se cacher	Le lapin se cache dans le buisson.	The rabbit hides itself in the bush.
se nourrir	se nourrir	Les pandas se nourrissent de bambou.	Pandas feed themselves bamboo.
se rouler	se rouler	Le chien se roule dans la poussière.	The dog rolls itself in the dust.
se reposer	se reposer	Le lion se repose à l’ombre.	The lion rests itself in the shade.
se baigner	se baigner	Le sanglier se baigne dans la rivière.	The wild boar bathes itself in the river.

The wild boar bathes itself in the river.

Le sanglier court dans la rivière.

Le sanglier se baigne dans la rivière.

Le sanglier baigne dans la rivière.

Le sanglier nage dans la rivière.

Le sanglier se baigne dans la rivière.

"Se baigne" means "bathes itself." Without "se," the sentence would be incomplete or change meaning. "Nage" (swims) and "court" (runs) are different actions.

Summary

The animal actions vocabulary in French equips you to describe a wide range of movements, sounds, and behaviors. You can form sentences easily by matching animals with appropriate verbs, and using context clues to add details. Reflexive verbs are especially useful for describing self-care or hiding behaviors. With this set, you can confidently talk about animals in many different situations.

Flashcards (1 of 34)

Example (English): The dog runs in the park.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025