poitrine
/pwa.tʁin/feminine
The English phrase 'brisket' is translated into French as poitrine.
In a culinary context, poitrine is often paired with the animal name, such as poitrine de bœuf, to specify the cut.
Meaning: cut of meat (noun)
Which one should you use?
While poitrine refers to the brisket in meat, it is also the standard word for the human chest or breast.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word poitrine is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa.tʁin/ (two syllables)
Did you know?
- The word poitrine is a linguistic cousin to the Spanish word pretina, which means 'waistband'.
- While poitrine refers to the cut of meat, French butchers may use the more technical term plastron to describe the specific front part of the brisket.
- When ordering in a traditional French bistro, you might find poitrine listed as a 'charcuterie' item rather than a main course 'plat'.
Examples in context
- Du bœuf dans la poitrine.Beef in the brisket.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe beef within the brisket.
- Je vais cuisiner une pointe de poitrine pour le barbecue ce weekend.I'm going to cook a brisket for the barbecue this weekend.
- La poitrine de bœuf est tendre.The beef brisket is tender.
- Il a acheté une poitrine de porc.He bought a pork brisket.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are planning a dinner menu.
- LucasQue veux-tu manger pour le dîner, Emma ?What do you want to eat for dinner, Emma?
- EmmaJ'ai envie de manger de la poitrine fumée.I feel like eating some smoked brisket.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée, Lucas adore ça.That is a great idea, Lucas loves that.
- EmmaAlors, on achète la poitrine demain !Then, we will buy the brisket tomorrow!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brisket” translations and entries poitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
