biscuits
The French word for cookies is biscuits.
The term refers to small, sweet, baked treats.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers use 'cookies' for sweet treats, the standard French term is biscuits.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form is un biscuit, and the plural form is biscuits. Although the plural biscuits is spelled the same as in English, it is pronounced differently in French.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the English word 'cookies' in French is considered an anglicism and is typically reserved for specific American-style chocolate chip cookies rather than general sweet treats.
Did you know?
- The word biscuit is related to the French words bis meaning 'twice' and cuit meaning 'cooked'.
- While an English speaker might ask for 'cookies', a French person asking for biscuits might actually be asking for a savory snack, as the word is often used for salty crackers too.
- A classic French biscuit is the madeleine, a shell-shaped sponge cake that is culturally linked to nostalgia and memory.
Examples in context
- Plus de biscuits !No more cookies!This sentence shows how to express that there are no more cookies.Tatoeba #2319109 by sacredceltic, translation #2318285 by Hybrid
- J'ai brûlé les biscuits.I burned the cookies.This sentence demonstrates using the word in the context of burning cookies.Tatoeba #5552238 by sacredceltic, translation #3248502 by Hybrid
- Sers-toi de ces biscuits.Help yourself to these cookies.This sentence shows how to offer cookies to someone.Tatoeba #1119002 by sacredceltic, translation #63002 by CK
- On se retrouve chez moi pour manger des petits gâteaux ?Shall we meet at my place to eat cookies?
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are in the kitchen during a snack break.
- ManonEst-ce qu'il reste des biscuits ?Are there any cookies left?
- HugoOui, il y en a dans la boîte.Yes, there are some in the box.
- ManonTu veux un biscuit, Hugo ?Do you want a cookie, Hugo?
- HugoNon merci, je n'ai plus faim.No thanks, I'm not hungry anymore.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
