Pig in French

The word for “pig” in French is:

cochon

(masculine noun)

It refers to both the animal and, in some contexts, can be used informally or figuratively (e.g., to describe someone messy or rude).

---

Gender and Article

• le cochon – the pig

• un cochon – a pig

• les cochons – the pigs (plural)

Example:
Le cochon vit à la ferme.
The pig lives on the farm.

---

Related Vocabulary

• truie – sow (female pig)

• porcelet – piglet

• cochonnet – small pig (also the jack in the game of pétanque)

• porc – pork / pig (as meat or farm animal in general)

• élevage de cochons – pig farming

• cochon d’Inde – guinea pig (literally “Indian pig,” but it's a rodent, not a pig)

---

Idiomatic Expressions

• manger comme un cochon – to eat like a pig

• sale comme un cochon – dirty as a pig

• faire le cochon – to act in a rude or messy way

• un petit cochon – sometimes used to mean “a naughty person” (adult context)

---

10 usage examples with translations

1. Il y a des cochons dans la ferme voisine.
   There are pigs on the neighboring farm.

2. Le cochon grogne quand il est content.
   The pig grunts when it’s happy.

3. Elle a adopté un petit cochon domestique.
   She adopted a small pet pig.

4. Les cochons aiment se rouler dans la boue.
   Pigs like to roll in the mud.

5. Ce porcelet est trop mignon !
   This piglet is so cute!

6. On mange souvent du porc sous forme de jambon ou de saucisse.
   We often eat pork as ham or sausage.

7. Tu as vu comme il mange ? Comme un cochon !
   Did you see how he eats? Like a pig!

8. Il a construit sa maison en briques pour se protéger du grand méchant cochon.
   He built his house out of bricks to protect himself from the big bad pig.
   (Note: a playful twist on the “Three Little Pigs” story)

9. Les cochons sont très intelligents.
   Pigs are very intelligent.

10. Je n’aime pas l’odeur de l’élevage de cochons.
    I don’t like the smell of the pig farm.