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aboyer
/abwa.je/
bark
Le chien aboie quand il voit un inconnu.
The dog barks when it sees a stranger.
neutral
To make the characteristic short loud cry of a dog
Le chien aboie toute la nuit.
The dog barks all night long.
Arrête d'aboyer comme ça !
Stop barking like that!
Can be used figuratively for loud, persistent noise (e.g., 'La sirène aboie' → 'The siren blares').
informal
To shout or speak loudly and aggressively
Il aboie des ordres sans arrêt.
He barks orders non-stop.
Often implies a tone of anger or impatience.
Collocations
aboyer après quelqu'unto bark at someonefaire aboyer le chiento get the dog to bark
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Distinguish 'aboyer' from 'hurler'
'Aboyer' is specific to dogs or loud, repetitive noises, while 'hurler' refers to a loud, sustained cry (e.g., wind, people).
Gold Rule
Conjugation note
Like most -er verbs, 'aboyer' follows regular conjugation (j'aboie, tu aboies, il aboie, nous aboyons, vous aboyez, ils aboient).
Word Origin
From Old French 'abayer' (12th c.), from Frankish *bōan ('to bark') or Old High German 'bōen' ('to bark'). Related to English 'bark' and German 'bellen'.
Usage Notes
Commonly used for dogs but can describe loud, repetitive noises (e.g., alarms, machinery). In figurative speech, it describes aggressive or loud verbal behavior.
Word Breakdown
a-
prefix (possibly from Frankish *bi- 'around' or intensifier)
prefix-boyer
from Frankish *bōan 'to bark'
rootDictionnaire Français-Anglais