Skip to content

cheval

horse

noun shuh-VAL Common

Usage Note

Cheval has an irregular plural chevaux, following the common -al → -aux pattern in French. The expression 'à cheval' means 'on horseback' but also 'straddling' or 'spanning' two things (une réunion à cheval sur deux jours — a meeting spanning two days). La chevalerie (chivalry) and le chevalier (knight) share the same root.

Examples

"Le cheval galope dans le pré."

Natural Translation

The horse gallops in the meadow.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic