lentille de contact
/lɑ̃.tij də kɔ̃.takt/feminine
The English phrase 'contact lens' is translated into French as lentille de contact.
The term refers to a thin lens placed directly on the eye.
Meaning: thin lens placed directly on the eye (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lentille (lens) and de contact (of contact).
Which one should you use?
While the full phrase is lentille de contact, in casual conversation, speakers often shorten the phrase to just lentilles when the context of the eye is clear.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is feminine. The plural form of the phrase is lentilles de contact.
How do you pronounce it?
It has 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pluralize 'contact' to 'contacts' in French. However, 'contact' remains singular in the phrase lentille de contact.
Did you know?
- Because lentilles is the word for both contact lenses and lentils, a French speaker saying je porte des lentilles could literally be interpreted as 'I am wearing lentils'.
- The word lentille is used for both an optical lens and the edible legume. This is because the shape of the very first primitive lenses was thought to resemble a lentil.
- In French, the word lentille describes not only the contact lens and the legume, but also the crystalline lens inside the human eye.
Examples in context
- Tom a perdu une lentille de contact.Tom lost a contact lens.This sentence shows how to use the form lentille de contact to describe something that has been lost.Tatoeba #5750421 by Aiji, translation #1093250 by CK
- Je porte des lentilles de contact pour améliorer ma visionI wear contact lenses to improve my vision
- J'ai oublié mes lentilles à la maisonI forgot my contact lenses at home
- Je dois acheter une lentille de contact pour mon œil droit car il est astigmateI need to buy a contact lens for my right eye as it has astigmatism
- Elle nettoie sa lentille de contact.She is cleaning her contact lens.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are getting ready to leave.
- NathanLéa, as-tu vu ma lentille de contact ?Léa, have you seen my contact lens?
- LéaElle est sur la table, Nathan.It is on the table, Nathan.
- NathanMerci, je ne la trouvais plus.Thanks, I couldn't find it anymore.
- LéaDe rien, dépêche-toi !You're welcome, hurry up!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “contact lens” translations and entries lentille de contact, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contact, de, lentille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
