bouillabaisse
/bu.ja.bɛs/feminine
bouillabaisse is the French word for a type of fish stew or soup from Provence.
While often used generally for any fish soup, a traditional bouillabaisse specifically refers to the recipe from Marseille that includes specific Mediterranean rockfish.
Meaning: type of fish stew or soup from Provence (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so when you want to say 'a bouillabaisse', you use the indefinite article une bouillabaisse.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /bu.ja.bɛs/.
Did you know?
- To protect the authenticity of the dish, the Charte della Bouillabaisse was created to define exactly which fish can be used in a legitimate Marseille version.
- While now a luxury dish, bouillabaisse began as a humble meal made by Marseille fishermen using the bony rockfish they could not sell at the market.
- The dish is traditionally served in two stages rather than as a single bowl. The broth is often served first to soak bread, followed by the solid fish pieces.
Examples in context
- La bouillabaisse est excellente ici.The bouillabaisse is excellent here.
- Je voudrais une bouillabaisse, s'il vous plaît.I would like a bouillabaisse, please.
- Cette bouillabaisse est très parfumée.This bouillabaisse is very fragrant.
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- ChloéRegarde, Hugo, ils servent de la bouillabaisse !Look, Hugo, they serve bouillabaisse!
- HugoC'est vrai, ça a l'air excellent.That's true, it looks excellent.
- ChloéOn commande une bouillabaisse pour nous deux ?Shall we order one bouillabaisse for the two of us?
- HugoOui, c'est une excellente idée.Yes, that is a great idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bouillabaisse” translations and entries bouillabaisse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
