banane
/ba.nan/feminine
The French word for banana is banane.
banane refers to the fruit. It is a feminine noun.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, you use the indefinite article une to say a banana (une banane). To form the plural, add an 's' to the end to get bananes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ba.nan/
Did you know?
- If a French speaker mentions 'une banane' in the context of fashion, they might be referring to a 'banane' bag, which is the French term for a fanny pack.
- The expression avoir la banane means to be beaming with happiness or to have a big grin on one's face.
- The French word banane was borrowed from Portuguese, which had taken it from a Niger-Congo language spoken in the Guinea region.
Examples in context
- Je suis une banane.I am a banana.This sentence uses banane to show how the word functions as a subject.Tatoeba #3682721 by Rovo, translation #3682681 by Vortarulo
- Je mange ta banane.I'm eating your banana.This sentence shows banane being used as a direct object in a sentence about eating.Tatoeba #5247105 by martin9, translation #11094971 by ddnktr
- Carotte ou banane ?Carrot or banana?This sentence demonstrates a simple choice between two nouns using banane.Tatoeba #8659345 by Micsmithel, translation #7319734 by MarijnKp
- 62 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are in the kitchen during breakfast.
- LucasEst-ce qu'il y a une banane ?Is there a banana?
- LéaOui, elle est sur la table.Yes, it is on the table.
- LucasMerci, la banane a l'air bonne.Thanks, the banana looks good.
- LéaMange-la vite, Lucas !Eat it quickly, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banana” translations and entries banane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries banane, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
