un poisson
In French, "a fish" is un poisson.
un poisson refers to an aquatic animal that lives in water and breathes through gills. Specific types can be mentioned using related terms: un poisson d'eau salée for a saltwater fish, or un poisson-chat for a catfish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word poisson is masculine. To express the plural, such as "some fish" or "fishes", use des poissons.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with your spelling and pronunciation, as English speakers often confuse un poisson (a fish) with un poison (a poison) because they look and sound very similar.
Did you know?
- In French culture, the 'Poisson d'avril' is a tradition similar to April Fools' Day, where people play pranks or stick a paper poisson on someone's back without them knowing.
- French differentiates between un poisson and un poisson-rouge, where rouge means 'red'. In English, we call this a 'goldfish' even though the fish is not actually gold.
- The word poisson descends from the Latin piscem, which also gave rise to the English word 'pisces' used in astronomy and astrology.
Examples in context
- Ceci est un poisson.This is a fish.This sentence is useful for identifying an object.Tatoeba #2816004 by Micsmithel, translation #2629585 by CM
- Un poisson peut nager.A fish can swim.This sentence describes an ability of un poisson.Tatoeba #960023 by sacredceltic, translation #19353 by CM
- Je voudrais un poisson.I'd like a fish.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference or request involving un poisson.Tatoeba #662998 by U2FS, translation #661518 by mervegorus
- Regarde le poisson rouge, il est si mignon !Look at the goldfish, it's so cute!
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are at a pet store.
- GabrielRegarde, Emma ! Il y a un poisson rouge.Look, Emma! There is a goldfish.
- EmmaOh, il est très joli.Oh, it is very pretty.
- GabrielTu penses qu'un poisson est facile à garder ?Do you think a fish is easy to keep?
- EmmaOui, je pense que c'est simple.Yes, I think it's simple.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poisson, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
