poitrine
/pwa.tʁin/feminine
In French, the word for breast is poitrine or sein.
Meaning: milk-producing organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| poitrine | /pwa.tʁin/ | feminine |
| sein | /sɛ̃/ | masculine |
These words refer to the milk-producing organ. The term sein is specifically used in the phrase allaitement au sein to denote breastfeeding.
Which one should you use?
Poitrine is more commonly used to refer to the general area of the chest or the physical appearance of the breasts, whereas sein refers to the organ itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun sein becomes seins in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa.tʁin/
Did you know?
- The term poitrine is often used in culinary contexts to describe 'brisket' or 'pork belly'. This refers to the chest area of the animal.
- In French, the word sein is masculine. This contrasts with many other Romance languages where the equivalent word for breast is feminine.
- The word poitrine shares a common ancestor with the Spanish word pretina, which means 'waistband'.
Examples in context
- Elle a un cancer du sein.She has breast cancer.The sentence is useful for seeing how to use sein when discussing breast cancer.Tatoeba #1832483 by sacredceltic, translation #1832152 by Spamster
- Je nourris mon bébé au sein.I'm breast-feeding my baby.The sentence is useful for showing the use of sein in the context of breastfeeding.Tatoeba #135088 by RaspaKrusto, translation #320948 by CM
- Mary est morte du cancer du sein.Mary died of breast cancer.The sentence is useful for showing how to use sein when discussing breast cancer.Tatoeba #5588571 by alexisslay, translation #4473030 by Hybrid
- le cancer du seinBreast cancer
- Le médecin a examiné ses seins pendant la consultation.The doctor examined her breasts during the check-up.
- Elle a besoin d'un nouveau soutien-gorge pour sa poitrine généreuse.She needs a new bra for her large breasts
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is talking to Gabriel about her health checkup.
- EmmaJ'ai une petite douleur à la poitrine.I have a little pain in my breast.
- GabrielTu devrais consulter un médecin, Emma.You should see a doctor, Emma.
- EmmaC'est peut-être juste musculaire, mais je m'inquiète.It might just be muscular, but I'm worried.
- GabrielIl vaut mieux vérifier ta poitrine rapidement.It's better to check your breast quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breast” translations and entries poitrine, sein, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poitrine, sein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
