œuf dur
/œf dyʁ/
The English phrase "boiled egg" is translated into French as œuf dur.
The term œuf dur is used to describe a hard-boiled egg.
Meaning: boiled egg (generic) (noun)
Which one should you use?
While œuf dur refers specifically to a hard-boiled egg, there are other terms for different stages of cooking. An œuf à la coque is a soft-boiled egg where the yolk remains liquid, and an œuf mollet is a medium-boiled egg with a set white but a jammy, semi-liquid yolk.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to more than one hard-boiled egg, the plural form is œufs durs. In this plural construction, both the noun and the adjective take an s.
How do you pronounce it?
/œf dyʁ/
Did you know?
- France has a specific culinary tradition for the œuf à la coque, where the egg is served in a specialized egg cup and eaten with small strips of toasted bread called mouillettes.
- The letter œ in œuf is a ligature, a single character created by merging 'o' and 'e' to reflect the word's evolution from the Latin ōvum.
- While English speakers use 'hard-boiled' to describe a person who is tough or cynical, the French œuf dur is used strictly for the food and lacks that metaphorical personality meaning.
Examples in context
- Préfères-tu un œuf à la coque avec ton petit-déjeuner ou un œuf dur ?Do you prefer a soft-boiled egg with your breakfast or a hard-boiled egg?This sentence is useful for comparing the preference between an œuf à la coque and an œuf dur during breakfast.Tatoeba #9698135 by Micsmithel, translation #11618233 by tieguy
- Pour le petit-déjeuner, j'adore manger un oeuf dur.For breakfast, I love eating a boiled egg.
- Est-ce que tu peux préparer des oeufs à la coque pour une collation rapide ?Can you make soft-boiled eggs for a quick snack?
- Je vous recommande vivement de goûter à nos délicieux oeufs légèrement mollets.I highly recommend trying our delicious slightly soft-boiled eggs.
- Je mange un œuf dur pour le déjeuner.I am eating a boiled egg for lunch.
- Il reste un œuf dur dans le frigo.There is one boiled egg left in the fridge.
Example conversation
In a kitchen during a quick snack time.
- HugoTu veux un œuf dur, Léa ?Do you want a boiled egg, Léa?
- LéaOui, merci Hugo, j'ai très faim.Yes, thank you Hugo, I am very hungry.
- HugoTiens, en voilà un pour toi.Here, here is one for you.
- LéaC'est parfait, merci beaucoup.It is perfect, thank you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry œuf dur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
