morue
/mɔ.ʁy/feminine
In French, the word for cod can be expressed as morue or cabillaud.
Meaning: any marine fish of the family Gadidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| morue | /mɔ.ʁy/ | feminine |
| cabillaud | /ka.bi.jo/ | masculine |
Both terms refer to marine fish of the family Gadidae. In a culinary context, the choice of word depends on whether the fish is fresh or preserved. Use cabillaud when referring to fresh cod as an ingredient, such as in a 'filet de cabillaud'. Use morue when referring to salt cod or cod that has been preserved, such as in the dish 'brandade de morue'.
Which one should you use?
The distinction between the two forms is based on the state of the fish. The masculine form cabillaud is typically used for fresh cod in recipes. The feminine form morue is typically used to refer to salt cod or preserved cod.
How does it change in a sentence?
morue is a feminine noun, while cabillaud is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɔ.ʁy/
Did you know?
- If a French speaker mentions la morue, they are often referring to the historical trade of salt cod from the North Atlantic, which was a staple of the Catholic diet during Lent.
- The term morue has unexpected roots in the language of Brittany, combining the Breton word for 'sea' with an Old French word for 'pike'.
Examples in context
- Je prends du cabillaud, s'il vous plaît.I'll take cod, please.This sentence is useful for practicing how to order the masculine form cabillaud.Tatoeba #6028299 by christian63, translation #6028426 by zumley
- Cette brandade de morue est trop aillée.This cod brand is too garlicky.This sentence is useful for referring to a traditional dish using the feminine form morue.Tatoeba #6891642 by GB3, translation #6892676 by Gulliver
- L'aiglefin est un proche parent de la morue.Haddock are closely related to cod.This sentence is useful for noting the relationship between species using the feminine form morue.Tatoeba #12061767 by Rovo, translation #12029385 by shekitten
- Le chef prépare un délicieux plat de morue à la sauce béarnaise.The chef is preparing a delicious cod dish with Béarnaise sauce.
- La morue est un ingrédient essentiel dans cette recette traditionnelle.Cod is an essential ingredient in this traditional recipe.
- L'épicerie propose différentes variétés de morue salée.The grocery store offers various varieties of salted cod.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- LucasEst-ce qu'on a de la morue au congélateur ?Do we have any cod in the freezer?
- LéaOui, il reste deux filets de morue.Yes, there are two cod fillets left.
- LucasSuper, je vais préparer la morue au four.Great, I'll prepare the cod in the oven.
- LéaC'est une excellente idée, Lucas !That's an excellent idea, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cod” translations and entries morue, cabillaud, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cabillaud, morue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
