eau
/o/
The English phrase "agua" is translated into French as eau.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express an unspecified quantity of water, such as "some water", use the partitive article de l'eau.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /o/.
Did you know?
- In French, if you ask for de l'eau in a restaurant, you will often be served a carafe of tap water for free, as it is a legal requirement in France.
- The word eau is used in the phrase eau-de-vie, which literally means 'water of life' but actually refers to strong clear fruit brandy.
- The word eau is a distant relative of the English word 'ea', which refers to a river or a watercourse.
Examples in context
- Tu peux me passer un verre de flotte ?Can you pass me a glass of water?
- Je voudrais un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît.I would like a glass of water, please.
- Il y a de l'eau sur la table.There is some water on the table.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are at a restaurant.
- HugoQu'est-ce que tu veux boire, Emma ?What do you want to drink, Emma?
- EmmaJe vais prendre juste de l'eau.I will just have some water.
- HugoMoi aussi, je prends de l'eau.Me too, I'll have water.
- EmmaC'est un bon choix, Hugo.That is a good choice, Hugo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
