coucou

fr
en
Change language
Translating...
cuckoo, hi, hello, peekaboo, cuckoo clock
Find language
العربية الفصحى
Arabic (Standard)
Deutsch
German
Español
Spanish
Français
French
Italiano
Italian
/kuku/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
A call-like word linking a familiar bird with cheerful greetings and several things named after its sound or markings.
Practice using coucou in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Le bébé rit quand son père fait coucou derrière ses mains.
    The baby laughs when his father plays peekaboo.
  • Le tic-tac du coucou m'empêchait de dormir.
    The cuckoo clock's ticking kept me awake.
  • Le jeune coucou est nourri par ses parents adoptifs.
    The young cuckoo is fed by its foster parents.
  • La coucou de Rennes a un plumage barré.
    The Rennes Coucou has barred plumage.
  • Ma grand-mère remonte son coucou une fois par semaine.
    My grandmother winds her cuckoo clock once a week.

Similar words

hello
salut
bonjour
narcisse des bois
tacot
rossignol
primevère officinale
coucou commun
horloge à coucou
jonquille

Meanings

Cuckoo bird

noun
animals
neutral
A migratory insect-eating bird known for its repeated call and for laying eggs in other birds' nests.

Examples

  • Le coucou chante au début du printemps.
    The cuckoo sings at the start of spring.
  • La femelle du coucou pond dans le nid d'autres oiseaux.
    The female cuckoo lays in other birds' nests.
  • Nous avons entendu un coucou dans la forêt.
    We heard a cuckoo in the forest.
  • Le jeune coucou est nourri par ses parents adoptifs.
    The young cuckoo is fed by its foster parents.
  • Un coucou gris s'est posé près du chemin.
    A grey cuckoo landed near the path.

Similar words

coucou gris
coucou commun

Cheerful hello or peekaboo

interjection
conversation
informal
A cheerful informal call used to greet someone, announce one's presence, or play peekaboo.

Examples

  • Coucou, c'est moi !
    Hi, it's me!
  • Elle a envoyé un message : « Coucou, tu vas bien ? »
    She sent a message: “Hi, how are you?”
  • Le bébé rit quand son père fait coucou derrière ses mains.
    The baby laughs when his father plays peekaboo.
  • Dans un courriel officiel, coucou paraîtrait trop familier.
    In an official email, hi there would sound too informal.
  • Coucou ! Je ne pensais pas te voir ici.
    Hi! I didn't expect to see you here.

Similar words

salut
bonjour
hello

Cuckoo clock

noun
home
neutral
A weight-driven clock whose mechanical bird appears and imitates the cuckoo's call at set times.

Examples

  • Le coucou du salon sonne chaque heure.
    The living-room cuckoo clock strikes every hour.
  • Ma grand-mère remonte son coucou une fois par semaine.
    My grandmother winds her cuckoo clock once a week.
  • Un petit oiseau sort du coucou à midi.
    A little bird comes out of the cuckoo clock at noon.
  • Ils ont acheté un coucou en bois sculpté.
    They bought a carved wooden cuckoo clock.
  • Le tic-tac du coucou m'empêchait de dormir.
    The cuckoo clock's ticking kept me awake.

Similar words

pendule à coucou
horloge à coucou

Yellow spring flower

noun
plants
neutral
A common name for yellow spring flowers, especially the cowslip and wild daffodil.

Examples

  • Les coucous fleurissent dans le pré au printemps.
    The cowslips bloom in the meadow in spring.
  • Elle a cueilli un bouquet de coucous jaunes.
    She picked a bunch of yellow cowslips.
  • Ce coucou pousse au bord du bois.
    This cowslip grows at the edge of the wood.
  • Les enfants cherchaient des coucous dans l'herbe.
    The children looked for cowslips in the grass.
  • La couleur vive des coucous annonce le printemps.
    The bright colour of the cowslips announces spring.

Similar words

primevère officinale
narcisse des bois
jonquille

Old vehicle or machine

noun
transport
informal
An informal name for a small, old, outdated, or unreliable vehicle or machine, especially an aircraft.

Examples

  • Le pilote décollait dans un vieux coucou peu rassurant.
    The pilot took off in an alarming old crate.
  • Cette voiture est un coucou, mais elle roule encore.
    This car is an old banger, but it still runs.
  • Ils ont réparé le coucou avant le vol.
    They repaired the old crate before the flight.
  • Le petit coucou militaire survolait la vallée.
    The little military crate flew over the valley.
  • Personne ne voulait monter dans ce coucou bruyant.
    Nobody wanted to board that noisy old crate.

Similar words

tacot
rossignol
vieille machine

Barred poultry breed

noun
animals
technical
A chicken or pigeon breed whose barred plumage resembles the cuckoo's colouring.

Examples

  • La coucou de Rennes a un plumage barré.
    The Rennes Coucou has barred plumage.
  • Ils élèvent des poules coucou dans la ferme.
    They raise barred hens on the farm.
  • Ce pigeon coucou porte des bandes grises.
    This barred pigeon has grey bands.
  • Le poussin coucou grandit rapidement.
    The barred chick is growing quickly.
  • On reconnaît la race coucou à son plumage rayé.
    The Coucou breed is recognised by its striped plumage.

Similar words

Etymology

An imitation of the bird's two-note call, also influenced by Latin cuculus, “cuckoo.” The greeting echoes the same call, while clocks, flowers, machines, and barred breeds took the name by association.

FAQ

What does coucou mean in French?

Coucou can name the cuckoo bird, serve as a warm informal hello, or refer to a cuckoo clock, yellow flower, old machine, or barred breed.

How do you pronounce coucou?

Coucou is pronounced /kuku/.

Is coucou a friendly greeting?

Yes. As a greeting, coucou is warm and informal, best suited to friends, family, children, or relaxed messages.

What is the plural of coucou?

The regular plural is coucous.

Why does coucou mean a clock?

A coucou clock has a mechanical bird that appears and imitates the cuckoo's call.

Can coucou describe an aircraft?

Yes. Informally, a small, old, or unreliable aircraft can be called a coucou.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...