🎧 Audio recorded by David Issokson, French Teacher at FrenchLearner
“Alouette, gentille alouette” (meaning lark, nice lark) — often just called Alouette — is one of the most famous French songs for beginners. It may sound cheerful, but the lyrics are surprisingly twisted: It’s literally a list of which body part to pluck next off a bird. 🐦😆
Why is it still so popular? Because it’s perfect for learning French body parts through repetition, just like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.“
🎧 Listen to Alouette, gentille alouette
Listen to the song — how many words can you catch before checking the translation?
🎵 Alouette, gentille alouette — Lyrics with English Translation
Click any line below to hear it — then repeat out loud for practice!
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tête (repeat)
Et la tête (repeat)
Alouette (repeat)
Lark, nice lark
Lark, I will pluck you
I will pluck your head
And your head
Lark!
O-o-o-oh
O-o-o-oh
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai le bec
Lark, nice lark
Lark, I will pluck you
I will pluck your beak
Et le bec (repeat)
Et la tête (repeat)
Alouette (repeat)
And the beak
and the head
Lark!
Et le cou
Et le dos
Et les ailes
Et les pattes
Et la queue
And the neck
And the back
And the wings
And the legs
And the tail
(Ending – repeat chorus)
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Lark, nice lark
Lark, I will pluck you
✏️ Grammar and vocabulary notes
in this section I explain the key vocabulary, expressions and grammar structures used in Alouette, gentille alouette.
🐦 Alouette meaning
- alouette — lark (a small bird commonly found in Europe and North America)
📘 Key words
- gentille — nice / kind / sweet (feminine form of gentil)
- plumer — to pluck (feathers)
🗣 Sentence structures & grammar
- Je te plumerai — I will pluck you (future tense of plumer with the indirect object te, meaning to you)
→ Literally: I will pluck to you. - Je te plumerai la tête / le bec — I will pluck your head / your beak
→ In French, body parts use articles (le / la / les) instead of my / your. - Et la tête / Et le bec / Et le dos… — Example of repetition for memorization, typical of children’s songs
🔤 Verb forms & tenses
- plumerai — future tense of plumer
- je te… — I (to you) → common structure in songs and informal speech
👂 Body parts vocabulary from the song
- la tête — head
- le bec — beak / bill
- le cou — neck
- le dos — back
- les ailes — wings
- les pattes — paws / legs (for animals)
- la queue — tail
👉 See full French body parts vocabulary list »
🧭 Looking for some direction in your learning?
Many readers ask me which course I prefer. My top recommendation is the À Moi Paris story series from French Today. These fun audio lessons pair perfectly with these song lessons!
👉 Try the course »
📖 Read my review »
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🚀 Continue growing your French with songs!
👉 French song lyrics hub »
👉 Frère Jacques lyrics & translation »
👉 Au clair de la lune lyrics & translation »
👉 French Christmas songs »
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French vocabulary lists »
👉 French for Beginners (start here) »
