cognac
/kɔ.ɲak/masculine
The French word for cognac is cognac.
cognac refers to the type of brandy. It is a masculine noun.
Meaning: type of brandy (noun)
Which one should you use?
When you are referring to the specific city in France, the word is written as Cognac with a capital C. When you are referring to the drink, it is written in lowercase as cognac.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article un when saying 'a cognac'. When you are referring to an unspecified amount of the liquid, use the partitive article du to say 'some cognac'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /kɔ.ɲak/.
Did you know?
- The town of Cognac is the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte's family, though the town's global fame now comes from the drink rather than the emperor.
- In French culture, cognac is traditionally served in a glass with a wide bottom and a narrow neck called a 'ballon', which allows the drinker to warm the liquid with their palm.
- Under French and EU law, the word cognac is a protected designation of origin. This means it is illegal to label a brandy as cognac unless it was produced in the specific region surrounding the town of Cognac.
Examples in context
- Tom a besoin d'un cognac.Tom needs a cognac.This sentence shows how to use the masculine indefinite article with cognac.Tatoeba #6715319 by felix63, translation #6716550 by Eccles17
- « Y a-t-il du cognac dans la maison ? » « Oui, il y en a une bouteille dans le buffet de la salle à déjeuner, je vais aller la chercher. »"Is there any cognac in the house?" "Yes, there is a bottle of it in the sideboard in the breakfast room, I will go and fetch it."This sentence shows how to refer to an unspecified amount of the liquid using cognac.Tatoeba #13711890 by menaud, translation #13711891 by menaud
- Je vous propose un verre de cognac après le dîner.I suggest you a glass of cognac after dinner.
- J'adore déguster un bon Cognac après une longue journée de travail.I love to savor a good cognac after a long day of work.
- Pourriez-vous me conseiller un cognac de qualité ?Could you recommend a quality cognac to me?
- Ce cognac est très vieux.This cognac is very old.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are at a restaurant after dinner.
- LucasTu veux goûter ce cognac ?Do you want to taste this cognac?
- ChloéOui, j'aimerais bien, merci Lucas.Yes, I would like that, thank you Lucas.
- LucasIl est très parfumé.It is very fragrant.
- ChloéC'est un excellent cognac.It is an excellent cognac.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cognac” translations and entries cognac, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
