Skip to content

aï

three-toed sloth

noun ah-EE Rare
Animals & Nature Mammals

Origin: Tupi (Brazilian language) aí, imitating the animal's cry

Usage Note

Aï (also written aï) is the French name for the three-toed sloth (Bradypus), distinct from paresseux which is a broader term for sloths generally. The name imitates the creature's high-pitched cry. It is one of the shortest French nouns with a written accent.

Examples

"L'aï passe sa vie dans les arbres."

Natural Translation

The sloth spends its life in the trees.

Explore French by topic