Published September 11, 2012 • Updated March 22, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online. Pronunciation audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker.
Frère Jacques is one of the most well-known French children’s songs—and a perfect starting point for beginners. In this A1 lesson, you’ll learn the full lyrics in French and English, with simple explanations and native audio so you can listen and repeat each line with confidence.
🎙️ Listen to Frère Jacques
📘 Frère Jacques meaning in French
The French phrase frère Jacques means “Brother Jacques.” The word frère (m.) means “brother,” and Jacques is a common French first name, equivalent to “James” or “Jack.” In the song, frère Jacques refers to a monk who is being woken up because he is still asleep while the morning bells are ringing.
🎧 Frère Jacques pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of frère Jacques is /fʁɛʁ ʒak/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “frehr zhahk.”
🎵 Frère Jacques lyrics with English translation + pronunciation
The recording below contains the full lyrics of “Frère Jacques” spoken clearly for pronunciation practice. Listen and repeat each line to improve your French pronunciation and rhythm.
🔊 Native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous ?
Sonnez les matines ! Sonnez les matines !
Din, dan, don. Din, dan, don.
Brother John, Brother John,
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!
Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.
Understanding the Lyrics of Frère Jacques
🔹 Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques
= Brother Jacques / Brother Jack
In English, the song is often called “Brother John.”
🧑🦲 Frère means brother — it’s related to the English word friar.
So, the title could also be translated as “Friar Jacques.”
😴 Dormez-vous ? Dormez-vous ?
= Are you sleeping?
This is the verb dormir (to sleep), conjugated in the vous (formal/plural) form and inverted for a question.
Alternative:
👉 Est-ce que vous dormez ? (Also means Are you sleeping?)
👉 Est-ce que = Is, are, do, does for yes-no questions.
🔔 Sonnez les matines
= Ring the matins / morning bells
The verb sonner means to ring.
Les matines refers to early Christian morning prayers — traditionally sung before sunrise.
See also:
👉 Complete grammar lesson covering asking questions in French »
👉 Dormir conjugation chart »
🧭 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 learning with French songs
👉 French song lyrics hub »
👉 Alouette lyrics & translation »
👉 Au clair de la lune lyrics & translation »
👉 French Christmas songs »
📚 More ways to learn French
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French vocabulary lists »
👉 French for Beginners »
