cacao
/ka.ka.o/masculine
The English word 'cocoa' is translated into French as cacao.
In French, cacao refers to the raw ingredient or the powder used to make drinks or chocolate. It can also be used as an adjective to describe a light to medium brown colour.
Meaning: hot drink (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cacao describes the ingredient or powder, it is important to distinguish it from chocolat chaud, which is the more common way to refer to the actual hot drink served in a cafe or at home.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
cacao is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.ka.o/
Did you know?
- The French word cacao is borrowed from Spanish and originates from the Classical Nahuatl word cacahuatl.
- The term cacao acts as a single linguistic umbrella in French, covering the entire production chain from the living plant to the seeds and the final powder.
- While chocolat chaud is the standard drink, cacao is often used in French health and wellness contexts to emphasize the 'superfood' qualities of the raw bean.
Examples in context
- Le cacao peut être très amer.Cocoa can be very bitter.This sentence shows that cacao can have a bitter taste.Tatoeba #846894 by RaspaKrusto, translation #1687455 by aka_aj
- Trop de cacao peut vous monter à la tête.Too much cocoa can mess with your head.This sentence illustrates that consuming too much cacao can have an effect on your head.Tatoeba #548620 by sacredceltic, translation #503577 by saeb
- Le chocolat est fait à base de fèves de cacao.Chocolate is made from cocoa beans.This sentence explains that chocolate is produced using cacao beans.Tatoeba #10560497 by sacredceltic, translation #40109 by CK
- Pendant la réunion, j'ai proposé d'ajouter du cacao à la recette.During the meeting, I suggested adding cocoa to the recipe.
- Tu veux boire un chocolat chaud avec moi ?Do you want to have a hot cocoa with me?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are in a cozy café during winter.
- ManonTu veux boire un cacao chaud ?Do you want to drink a hot cocoa?
- LucasOui, je vais prendre un cacao s'il vous plaît.Yes, I will have a cocoa please.
- ManonJe vais ajouter des guimauves dans mon cacao.I am going to add marshmallows to my cocoa.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée, Manon !That is an excellent idea, Manon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cocoa” translations and entries cacao, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cacao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
