entonner

strike up (a song)

verb ahn-toh-NEH Rare

Origin: From ton (tone); the homonym meaning 'to pour into a barrel' comes instead from tonne (cask).

Also means

pour into a funnel

Usage Note

Entonner most commonly means to begin singing a song or chant, especially in a group setting: entonner un hymne ('to strike up a hymn'). Its secondary sense, to pour liquid through a funnel, is technical and rare in everyday speech. That barrel-related sense is the one connected to entonnoir ('funnel').

Examples

"Ils ont entonné leur chanson préférée."

Natural Translation

They struck up their favourite song.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

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

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Adjective Placement: Before or After the Noun?

French adjectives usually follow the noun, but a small common set goes before it — and a few change meaning depending on which side they sit. Here's the rule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read