How to Say "Cactus" in French

cactus

/kak.tys/masculine

The English phrase "cactus" is translated into French as cactus.

The word refers to a member of the Cactaceae plant family.

Meaning: member of the Cactaceae (noun)

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Quebec, speakers might use figuier de Barbarie to refer specifically to Opuntia.

cactus is a masculine noun.

The pronunciation is /kak.tys/ and consists of 2 syllables.

In French, the expression être comme un cactus can describe a person who is prickly, irritable or difficult to get close to without getting hurt.
The word cactus is an example of a loanword that French adopted from Latin, which in turn took it from the Greek word kaktos.
When talking about the fruit of the cactus, French speakers use the term fruit du cactus or figue de Barbarie, as there is no single word for 'prickly pear'.

J'ai acheté un cactus.
I bought a cactus.
Tatoeba #7793992 by Aiji, translation #2898163 by AlanF_US
La vie, c'est comme de lécher du miel sur un cactus.
Life is like licking honey off a cactus.
This sentence uses a simile involving a cactus.
Tatoeba #1618228 by sacredceltic, translation #1617876 by Benjameno
« Où est mon cactus ? » « Il est sur le rebord de la fenêtre. »
"Where is my cactus?" "On the windowsill."
This sentence shows how to use the word in a question about the location of a plant.
Tatoeba #4654195 by Rovo, translation #7829462 by AlanF_US
J'adore les cactus dans mon jardin.
I love the cacti in my garden.
Les fleurs du cactus sont magnifiques.
The flowers of the cactus are beautiful.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Gabriel and Emma are in a garden center.

Sources

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