chou
/ʃu/masculine
The English phrase "cabbage" is chou in French.
chou refers to the leaves of the plant eaten as a vegetable. Specific variations include chou de Bruxelles for Brussels sprouts. There is also a colloquial idiom être dans les choux, which means to be exhausted or to be out of it.
Meaning: leaves of this plant eaten as a vegetable (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In an informal context, chou can be used as a term of endearment, similar to "sweetie" or "darling" in English (e.g., mon chou).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, Chou vert is used to mean green cabbage.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of chou is choux.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃu/
Did you know?
- The term chou can actually refer to a small, round pastry shell used in desserts like 'profiteroles'.
- The word chou shares an ancient ancestor with the Greek word 'kaulós', which meant 'stalk' or 'stem'.
- The expression être dans les choux is often used by students to describe failing an exam or being completely lost during a lesson.
Examples in context
- J'adore le chou !I love cabbage!This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for the vegetable using chou.Tatoeba #6587799 by GB3, translation #6587064 by Eccles17
- Émincez le chou mariné.Chop the pickled cabbage finely.This sentence is useful for providing a cooking instruction regarding the chou.Tatoeba #1732684 by sacredceltic, translation #638323 by blay_paul
- On peut manger le chou, cru.Cabbage can be eaten raw.This sentence is useful for describing how the chou can be consumed.Tatoeba #551629 by sacredceltic, translation #63177 by CK
- J'adore le chou vert dans ma soupe !I love green cabbage in my soup!
- J'ai acheté un chou cabus pour faire de la choucroute.I bought a white cabbage to make sauerkraut.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a local grocery market.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'il y a du chou frais ?Is there any fresh cabbage?
- LéaOui, j'ai un beau chou vert ici.Yes, I have a beautiful green cabbage here.
- GabrielParfait, je vais en prendre un.Perfect, I will take one.
- LéaTrès bien, merci beaucoup.Very well, thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cabbage” translations and entries chou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
