Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| choux de Bruxelles | plural |
| chou de Bruxelles | singular |
You will almost always meet the plural, because the vegetable is cooked and sold in numbers: des choux de Bruxelles on a menu or un kilo de choux de Bruxelles at the market.
What does it mean word for word?
chou means "cabbage", de means "of" and Bruxelles is the French name of Brussels. The plural of chou is choux, written with an x.
How does it change in a sentence?
chou is masculine, so you say le chou de Bruxelles for one sprout and les choux de Bruxelles for the vegetable in general. Only the first word changes between singular and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
Say choux de Bruxelles roughly as shoo duh bruu-sel. The x in choux is silent, and the u in Bruxelles is the rounded French u, like the vowel in "tu".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often say the final x of Bruxelles as ks. In French it is pronounced like s.
Did you know?
- The French name keeps the city in it: choux de Bruxelles literally means "cabbages of Brussels".
Examples in context
- J'ai cuisiné des choux de Bruxelles sautés au beurre.I cooked some Brussels sprouts sautéed in butter.
- Je n'aime pas les choux de Bruxelles.I do not like Brussels sprouts.
- Un chou de Bruxelles ressemble à un tout petit chou.A Brussels sprout looks like a tiny cabbage.
Example conversation
Claire and her father Marc are cooking dinner together.
- MarcQu'est-ce que tu prépares ce soir ?What are you making tonight?
- ClaireDu poulet avec des choux de Bruxelles.Chicken with Brussels sprouts.
- MarcMoi, je n'aime pas trop ça.I do not really like those.
- ClaireEssaie, je les fais sauter au beurre.Try them, I sauté them in butter.
