pain au chocolat
/pɛ̃ o ʃɔ.kɔ.la/
The English phrase "chocolate bread" is translated into French as pain au chocolat.
In French, pain au chocolat refers specifically to a flaky, laminated pastry made with layers of dough and filled with pieces of chocolate, much like a croissant. It is not used to describe a standard loaf of bread that happens to contain chocolate.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "bread with chocolate".
Which one should you use?
While the English term "chocolate bread" might suggest a standard loaf of bread with chocolate inside, pain au chocolat specifically refers to a laminated, flaky pastry.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /pɛ̃ o ʃɔ.kɔ.la/. It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many parts of southwestern France, you will hear people call this pastry chocolatine instead of pain au chocolat. This regional naming dispute is so famous that it often sparks lighthearted, friendly arguments between residents of different cities.
- The category viennoiserie used for pain au chocolat literally means 'things from Vienna'. This reflects the historical influence of Austrian bakers who brought enriched doughs to France.
- A common breakfast custom in France is to dip a pain au chocolat into a bowl of coffee or hot chocolate to soften the pastry.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais acheter un pain au chocolat, s'il vous plaît.I would like to buy a pain au chocolat, please.
- Pourrais-je avoir une chocolatine avec mon café ?Could I have a chocolatine with my coffee?
- Tu veux une chocolatine ?Do you want a chocolatine?
- On va au café pour prendre un pain au chocolat ?Shall we go to the café to have a pain au chocolat?
- Ce pain au chocolat est délicieux.This chocolate bread is delicious.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are at a bakery.
- LéaQu'est-ce que tu veux manger, Nathan ?What do you want to eat, Nathan?
- NathanJe vais prendre un pain au chocolat.I will have a chocolate pastry.
- LéaC'est un bon choix !That is a good choice!
- NathanMerci Léa, et toi ?Thanks Léa, and you?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pain au chocolat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
