Les premiers mots
Animals in French for toddlers, and the noises they make
The first animals to name in French are le chat (cat), le chien (dog), la vache (cow), le canard (duck) and le cochon (pig). French animals make French noises too: a cow says meuh, a duck says coin-coin, and a rooster says cocorico.
Twenty animals
The note under most of them is what it says in French.
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| le chat | the catMiaou. | Say it luh SHA |
| le chien | the dogOuaf ouaf. | Say it luh SHYAN |
| la vache | the cowMeuh. | Say it la VASH |
| le cochon | the pigGroin groin. | Say it luh ko-SHON |
| le mouton | the sheepBêê. | Say it luh moo-TON |
| le cheval | the horse | Say it luh shuh-VAL |
| le canard | the duckCoin-coin. | Say it luh ka-NAR |
| la poule | the henCot cot codet. | Say it la POOL |
| le coq | the roosterCocorico. | Say it luh KOK |
| l'âne | the donkeyHi-han. | Say it LAHN |
| le lapin | the rabbit | Say it luh la-PAN |
| la souris | the mouse | Say it la soo-REE |
| le poisson | the fish | Say it luh pwa-SON |
| l'oiseau | the birdCui-cui. | Say it lwa-ZOH |
| la grenouille | the frogCroa croa. | Say it la gruh-NOO-yuh |
| l'ours | the bear | Say it LOORS |
| le lion | the lion | Say it luh lee-ON |
| l'éléphant | the elephant | Say it lay-lay-FAHN |
| le singe | the monkey | Say it luh SANZH |
| la girafe | the giraffe | Say it la zhee-RAF |
Play it: what does the cow say?
- Comment fait la vache ? What does the cow say? Say it ko-MAHN fay la VASH Literally: how does the cow go?
- La vache fait meuh. The cow says moo. Say it la VASH fay MUH
- Le canard fait coin-coin. The duck says quack quack. Say it luh ka-NAR fay kwan-KWAN
- Le coq fait cocorico ! The rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo! Say it luh KOK fay ko-ko-ree-KOH
- Où est le chat ? Where's the cat? Say it oo ay luh SHA
French animals say different things
A French duck doesn’t quack. It says coin-coin. A French rooster says cocorico, and a French dog says ouaf ouaf. Toddlers find this extremely funny, which is exactly why it works.
Where to use them
Bath ducks, picture books, the farm puzzle, the dog next door. Name the animal in French every time it turns up, and let the noise do the rest.
One thing to do today
Line up three animals at playtime and ask Comment fait la vache ? Then answer it yourself: meuh.
Free bedtime script
Animals by day, ten phrases by night
The farm goes quiet at bedtime, and the Le Dodo script takes over.
Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.
Voilà, it's on its way
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Download it now (PDF)Questions parents ask
What does a cow say in French?
Meuh.
What does a duck say in French?
Coin-coin.
What does a rooster say in French?
Cocorico. The French also shout it as a cheer of national pride, because the rooster is a symbol of France.
What does a dog say in French?
Ouaf ouaf, and in some books wouf wouf.
How do you say dog in French?
Le chien, said luh SHYAN, in one quick beat.
Keep going
Updated 16 October 2026