sonner

Sonner is a French verb meaning to ring or to sound, as with bells, alarms, or telephones. It covers both the act of producing a ringing sound and the signal itself. Common usages include la cloche sonne (the bell rings) or le téléphone sonne (the phone is ringing). The verb can also mean to cause something to ring, as in sonner l’alarme or sonner le tocsin.

Etymology and sense: Sonner derives from Old French soner, itself from Latin sonare, meaning to sound, related to the noun sonus (sound). The sense retains a broad range of audible signaling, from bells to alerts.

Conjugation and forms: Sonner is a regular -er verb. In the present tense: je sonne, tu sonnes, il sonne, nous sonnons, vous sonnez, ils sonnent. The past participle is sonné, used with the auxiliary avoir in compound tenses (par exemple, Le téléphone a sonné). The present participle is sonnant, and the gerund is en sonnant.

Other uses: As a surname, Sonner occurs in French-speaking areas and among communities with French heritage, typically unrelated to the verb’s sense of ringing. Related nouns include la sonnerie (the ringing or bell sound) and le sonnement (the act or result of sounding). The phrase tocsin, a tolling bell, is often associated with the action of sonner in historical or ceremonial contexts.