aboyer

to bark

verb ah-bwa-YEH Rare

Usage Note

Aboyer is the standard verb for a dog barking. The proverb chien qui aboie ne mord pas ('a barking dog doesn't bite') is well known in French. Figuratively, aboyer des ordres means 'to bark orders'. It follows the -oyer conjugation pattern, with the y changing to i before a silent e.

Examples

"Le chien aboie toute la nuit."

Natural Translation

The dog barks all night.

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