orge
/ɔʁʒ/feminine
The French word for barley is orge.
The word orge refers to the cereal plant *Hordeum vulgare* or its grains.
Meaning: Hordeum vulgare or its grains (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, orge is the standard term for barley used in both formal and informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
orge is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔʁʒ/
Did you know?
- While orge is the plant, the word orgeat refers to a sweet syrup made from almonds, despite the shared root suggesting barley.
- The word orge shares a distant ancestral root with the English word 'grass'.
- In historical French agriculture, l'orge was often seen as a 'poor man's grain' compared to the prestige of blé (wheat).
Examples in context
- Reconnaissez-vous l'orge du blé ?Can you distinguish barley from wheat?This sentence is useful for learning how to distinguish orge from wheat.Tatoeba #7355833 by tras, translation #7352545 by AlanF_US
- Es-tu capable de distinguer le blé de l'orge ?Can you tell wheat from barley?This sentence is useful for learning how to tell wheat apart from orge.Tatoeba #3639477 by sacredceltic, translation #15911 by CK
- Le seigle, le blé et l'orge sont des céréales.Rye, wheat, and barley are cereals.This sentence is useful for listing different types of cereals including orge.Tatoeba #5243603 by martin9, translation #5474074 by Kerbear832
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are cooking a soup together.
- LucasEst-ce qu'on ajoute de l'orge dans la soupe ?Are we adding some barley to the soup?
- EmmaOui, l'orge donne une bonne texture.Yes, barley gives it a good texture.
- LucasJe ne trouve pas le sachet d'orge.I can't find the bag of barley.
- EmmaRegarde, Lucas, l'orge est dans le placard.Look, Lucas, the barley is in the cupboard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “barley” translations and entries orge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
