régate

regatta

noun reh-GAT Rare

Origin: Italian regata, 'contest'

Also means

boat race

Usage Note

La régate (often plural les régates) denotes a competitive sailing or rowing race. France has a strong regatta culture, with events like the Solitaire du Figaro and the Vendée Globe drawing wide attention. The word entered French from Venetian Italian, where it originally referred to a gondola race.

Examples

"Ils participent aux régates chaque été."

Natural Translation

They take part in the regattas every summer.

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

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 1 to 100: Count With Confidence

French numbers 1 to 100 in one complete chart, with pronunciation, the et-un rule, hyphens, and the four-twenties system explained so you can count anywhere.

June 4, 2026 6 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