What does sonner in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word sonner in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use sonner in French.

The word sonner in French means ring, ring, sound, strike, stun, call for , send for, ring, ask, play, Come straight in, get a good telling off, come to the right place, come to the right person, ring the doorbell, ring the bell, ring the bells at full peal, ring out the bells, sound hollow, ring hollow, not ring true, sound odd, sound the alarm, sound the retreat, sound the death knell, toll the bells, sound the death knell, sound the death knell, sound the reveille, sound the alarm, sound the alarm, strike midnight, chime midnight, strike midnight, chime midnight, be engaged. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word sonner

ring

verbe intransitif (émettre une sonnerie) (phone, bell, etc.)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Son téléphone sonne tout le temps. // Depuis chez mes grands-parents, on entend les cloches du village sonner.
His telephone is always ringing. // You can hear the village church bells ringing from my grandparents' house.

ring

verbe intransitif (utiliser une sonnette)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Je n'ai pas eu besoin de sonner à la porte car elle était ouverte. J'ai frappé à la porte mais pas de réponse. Alors, j'ai sonné et là, on m'a ouvert.
I didn't need to ring at the door, as it was open. I knocked on the door, but there was no reply, so I rang, and then someone answered.

sound, strike

verbe transitif (annoncer par sonnerie)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Les sirènes ont sonné l'alarme incendie.
The sirens sounded the fire alarm.

stun

verbe transitif (familier (assommer, ébranler)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Sa chute l'a complètement sonné !
His fall really knocked him for six

call for , send for

verbe transitif (appeler [qqn] avec une sonnerie)

(phrasal verb, transitive, inseparable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, not divisible--for example,"go with" [=combine nicely]: "Those red shoes don't go with my dress." NOT [S]"Those red shoes don't go my dress with."[/S])
J'ai sonné un garçon d'étage à l'hôtel. Voulez-vous bien sonner la gouvernante, mon ami ?
I sent for a bellboy at the hotel.

ring

verbe transitif (mettre en mouvement : une cloche) (bell)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Le pasteur a sonné la cloche.
The vicar rang the church bell.

ask

verbe transitif (familier (faire intervenir dans une conversation)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Mais de quoi tu te mêles, toi ? On ne t'a pas sonné ! Quand on aura besoin de ton avis, on te sonnera !
What business is it of yours? Nobody asked you! // When we want your opinion, we'll ask you!

play

verbe transitif indirect (jouer de certains intruments)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Erwan sonne de la cornemuse dans la fanfare municipale.
Erwan plays the bagpipes in the town band.

Come straight in

(instruction sur une porte)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Sur la porte du cabinet du médecin se trouvait l'affiche « Entrez sans sonner ».

get a good telling off

(familier, péjoratif (être réprimandé)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

come to the right place, come to the right person

locution verbale (figuré (s'adresser à la bonne personne)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Si tu cherches quelqu'un pour t'aider à préparer ton mariage, tu as sonné à la bonne porte !

ring the doorbell, ring the bell

locution verbale (utiliser une sonnette)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
J'ai sonné à la porte mais personne n'est venu ouvrir.

ring the bells at full peal, ring out the bells

locution verbale (sonner des cloches au maximum)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
L'église sonnait à toute volée pour célébrer le mariage.

sound hollow

locution verbale (résonner)

ring hollow

locution verbale (figuré (être inconsistant) (figurative)

not ring true, sound odd

locution verbale (figuré (manquer de sincérité)

sound the alarm

locution verbale (alerter)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

sound the retreat

locution verbale (armée : ordonner de se replier)

sound the death knell

locution verbale (faire sonner les cloches pour un mort)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

toll the bells

locution verbale (annoncer une catastrophe par des cloches)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

sound the death knell

locution verbale (entraîner la fin de [qch]) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

sound the death knell

locution verbale (figuré (annoncer la fin de [qch]) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

sound the reveille

locution verbale (réveiller avec une sonnerie)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Le soldat sonna le réveil des troupes.

sound the alarm

locution verbale (annoncer un danger par des cloches)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

sound the alarm

locution verbale (figuré (alerter toute une population) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

strike midnight, chime midnight

locution verbale (faire entendre par les cloches)

strike midnight, chime midnight

locution verbale (horloge : sonner 12 coup du soir)

be engaged

locution verbale (indiquer un appel déjà en cours) (phone line: UK)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of sonner in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

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French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.