Carnival – le carnaval

(Pronounced kar-na-val)

To remember that Carnival is pronounced kar-na-val (carnaval) in French, use the following mnemonic:

The carnival tent was propped up using the Eiffel Tower.

NOTE: The Eiffel Tower is a French icon, and whenever you see it in one of our images, it means that the word is basically the same in both English and French.

Carnaval is masculine, so it's le carnaval. Imagine the early learner taking a selfie with a dancer at the carnival.

Examples of carnaval (carnival) in a sentence

Le Carnaval de Nice est l'un des plus célèbres en France. 

(The Nice Carnival is one of the most famous in France.)

Les enfants préparent leurs déguisements pour le carnaval de l'école. 

(The children are preparing their costumes for the school carnival.)

Pendant le carnaval, on mange beaucoup de beignets et de crêpes. 

(During carnival, we eat a lot of fritters and pancakes.)