bouton de fièvre
/bu.tɔ̃ də fjɛvʁ/masculine
In French, 'cold sore' is bouton de fièvre. Wiktionary also lists feu sauvage.
Meaning: small bump on the lips (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bouton de fièvre | /bu.tɔ̃ də fjɛvʁ/ | masculine |
| feu sauvage |
A cold sore refers to the small bump that appears on the lips. You can use the phrase un bouton de fièvre douloureux to describe a painful cold sore.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bouton de fièvre literally translates to 'fever bump'.
Which one should you use?
Bouton de fièvre is the common way to refer to a cold sore, while feu sauvage is another way to name it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun bouton is masculine. Therefore, when referring to a single cold sore, you use the masculine article un as in un bouton de fièvre.
How do you pronounce it?
/bu.tɔ̃ də fjɛvʁ/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- J'ai un bouton de fièvre sur la lèvre.I've got a cold sore on my lip.This sentence is useful for stating that you have a bouton de fièvre on your lip.Tatoeba #11427386 by lbdx, translation #10098136 by DJ_Saidez
- Ce bouton de fièvre est très douloureux.This cold sore is very painful.
- Elle a un petit bouton de fièvre.She has a small cold sore.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are talking about a facial discomfort.
- HugoTu as un bouton de fièvre sur la lèvre ?Do you have a cold sore on your lip?
- EmmaOui, Hugo, ça me fait mal.Yes, Hugo, it hurts.
- HugoTu devrais mettre une crème dessus.You should put some cream on it.
- EmmaC'est une bonne idée, merci.That is a good idea, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold sore” translations and entries bouton de fièvre, feu sauvage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bouton, de, feu, fièvre, sauvage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
