palourde
/pa.luʁd/feminine
The English word clam is translated into French as palourde or praire.
Meaning: mollusc (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| palourde | /pa.luʁd/ | feminine |
| praire | masculine |
Both terms refer to the mollusc known as a clam.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun palourde becomes palourdes in the plural, and the masculine noun praire becomes praires in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/pa.luʁd/
Did you know?
- The word praire is a linguistic oddity because it shares an ancestor with the word for 'priest', prêtre. It is a doublet of the word for 'priest' via the Occitan word for a member of the clergy.
- French distinguishes between palourde and praire based on the specific species and shell shape, whereas English often uses 'clam' as a generic term for many different bivalves.
- If you are ordering food in a French restaurant, you might see palourdes à la vinaigrette, which are clams served in a classic dressing of oil and vinegar.
Examples in context
- Il sera heureux comme une palourde.He'll be happy as a clam.This sentence shows how to use palourde in a common idiom.Tatoeba #12138653 by Rovo, translation #10685233 by felidad
- Je voudrais une assiette de palourdes, s'il vous plaît.I would like a plate of clams, please.
- On mange des pétoncles ce soir?Are we having clams tonight?
- Je préfère les palourdes au naturelI prefer clams served au naturel
- Je voudrais une entrée de palourdesI would like an appetizer of clams
- Les coquilles des palourdes sont bellesThe clam shells are beautiful
- Une palourde est délicieuse avec du citron.A clam is delicious with lemon.
- Elle a ramassé une petite palourde sur la plage.She picked up a small clam on the beach.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are at a seafood market.
- ChloéRegarde cette palourde, elle est énorme !Look at this clam, it is huge!
- LucasC'est vrai, elle a l'air délicieuse.That's true, it looks delicious.
- ChloéOn en prend deux palourdes pour le dîner ?Shall we take two clams for dinner?
- LucasOui, c'est une bonne idée, Chloé.Yes, that's a good idea, Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clam” translations and entries palourde, praire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries palourde, praire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
