lame
/lam/feminine
The English phrase "blade" is translated into French as lame.
The word lame refers to the typically sharp-edged working end of a knife or other cutting tool.
Meaning: typically sharp-edged working end of a knife or other cutting tool (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
lame is a feminine noun. Because of this, it is preceded by the feminine article la or the feminine possessive ma. The plural form is lames.
How do you pronounce it?
/lam/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse lame with the English word "lame" (meaning weak or unconvincing). In French, lame refers to a blade. If you want to say something is weak or unconvincing, use nul or peu convaincant instead.
Did you know?
- In French, the phrase avoir la lame à la gorge literally means 'to have the blade at the throat'. It is used idiomatically to describe being in a desperate or critical situation.
- The French word lame shares a common ancestor with the English word 'lamina', which refers to a thin layer or plate in anatomy or geology.
- While 'blade' in English can refer to a single leaf of grass, in French, you would use limbe or feuille instead of lame.
Examples in context
- Ce couteau a une lame très effilée.The knife has a keen blade.This sentence is useful for describing a knife with a keen lame.Tatoeba #336987 by sysko, translation #50147 by sundown
- Cette lame peut tuer les immortels.This blade can slay immortals.This sentence features a lame that can slay immortals.Tatoeba #11570945 by Aiji, translation #13823773 by tieguy
- La lame de mon couteau est très tranchante.The blade of my knife is very sharp.This sentence shows how to describe the lame of a knife as being very sharp.Tatoeba #7705130 by lbdx, translation #2833930 by ddnktr
- Le couteau est doté d'une lame tranchante.The knife has a sharp blade.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo is cleaning his kitchen tools in the kitchen.
- ManonEst-ce que la lame de ton couteau est propre ?Is your knife blade clean?
- HugoOui, je viens de la laver.Yes, I just washed it.
- ManonAttention, cette lame est très coupante.Be careful, this blade is very sharp.
- HugoMerci, je ferai attention.Thanks, I will be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blade” translations and entries lame, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
