Learn French with Frère Jacques
A simple French nursery rhyme to practise everyday words, pronunciation, questions, and verbs. Read the lyrics in French and English, and learn the vocabulary with clear examples.
What is “Frère Jacques”?
Frère Jacques is a traditional French children’s song about a brother who is still sleeping when the bells for morning prayers should ring. It is easy for beginners because the lines repeat, and you can practise useful expressions such as Dormez-vous ? (“Are you sleeping?”).
Frère Jacques: French & English Lyrics
Read each line, sing along, and tap the underlined French words to discover their meanings.
Frère Jacques
Read the French rhyme. Tap a highlighted word for help.
📖 New words Tap a word in the song to learn more
Language note: Jacques usually corresponds to James in English, but the familiar English song uses Brother John. Also, matines literally refers to morning prayers (matins), not to the bells themselves.
French Vocabulary for Beginners
Start with the words in the song, then learn a few related words you can use in everyday French.
| French | Pronunciation (IPA) | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| frère | /fʁɛʁ/ | brother | Mon frère est ici.My brother is here. |
| Jacques | /ʒak/ | Jacques (James) | Jacques est ici.Jacques is here. |
| dormir | /dɔʁ.miʁ/ | to sleep | Je veux dormir.I want to sleep. |
| dormez | /dɔʁ.me/ | you sleep / are sleeping | Vous dormez.You are sleeping. |
| vous | /vu/ | you (formal or plural) | Comment allez-vous ?How are you? |
| sonner | /sɔ.ne/ | to ring | La cloche va sonner.The bell is going to ring. |
| sonnez ! | /sɔ.ne/ | ring! (command) | Sonnez la cloche !Ring the bell! |
| les | /le/ | the (plural) | Les enfants dorment.The children are sleeping. |
| les matines | /le ma.tin/ | morning prayers (matins) | Les matines commencent.Matins are beginning. |
| la cloche | /la klɔʃ/ | the bell | La cloche sonne.The bell is ringing. |
| le matin | /lə ma.tɛ̃/ | the morning | Je lis le matin.I read in the morning. |
| bonjour | /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ | hello / good morning | Bonjour, Jacques !Hello, Jacques! |
French Pronunciation Tips
Try these sounds slowly. The English hints are approximate, not exact French pronunciation.
Think “frehr”, using the French R sound at the back of your mouth.
Sounds roughly like “zhak”. The final s is silent.
Three clear parts: dor · mé · vous.
Two parts: son · né. The ending sounds like “ay”, not “ez”.
In French, spelling and pronunciation do not always match. Repeat short phrases aloud rather than trying to pronounce every letter.
Easy French Grammar from the Song
1. Dormez-vous ?
This means “Are you sleeping?” The verb comes before vous to form a question.
Beginner shortcut: In everyday speech, you can also ask Vous dormez ? with rising intonation.
2. Dormir = to sleep
A French verb changes with the subject. Compare these forms:
3. Sonnez ! = Ring!
Sonnez ! is a command (imperative), used when speaking politely to one person or to several people.
4. Le, la, les = the
French has different forms of “the”.
Five Simple French Sentences
These short phrases help you use the vocabulary outside the song.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Frère Jacques” mean in English?
Literally, it means “Brother James”. The well-known English version of the song calls him “Brother John”.
What does “Dormez-vous ?” mean?
It means “Are you sleeping?” It uses dormez, a form of dormir (“to sleep”), with vous (“you”).
What does “Sonnez les matines” mean?
In the context of the song, it means “Ring the bells for morning prayers.” Matines refers to the prayers, not the bells.
Is “Frère Jacques” good for French beginners?
Yes. Its short, repeated lines make it useful for learning basic vocabulary, listening patterns, a simple question, and a command.