cuivre
/kɥivʁ/masculine
The French word for copper is cuivre.
cuivre is a masculine noun that refers to the reddish-brown metallic chemical element or the metal made from it.
Meaning: reddish-brown metallic chemical element with the atomic number 29, the metal made up of this element (noun)
Which one should you use?
cuivre refers to the metal itself, whereas cuivré is the adjective used to describe a copper-colored appearance or a copper tint.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are describing an object's material, use the preposition en before cuivre, such as in the phrase en cuivre (made of copper).
How do you pronounce it?
/kɥivʁ/
Did you know?
- In the world of music, a cuivre can refer to a brass instrument, reflecting a historical time when these instruments were often made of copper alloys.
- The word cuivre traces its roots back to the island of Cyprus, which was a major ancient source of the metal. The name of the country itself is etymologically linked to the word for copper.
- French artisans use the verb cuivrer to describe the process of coating a surface in copper, turning the noun cuivre into an action.
Examples in context
- Il fond du cuivre.He is melting copper.This sentence shows the action of melting cuivre.Tatoeba #9009603 by Aiji, translation #7109351 by AlanF_US
- Le câble est en cuivre.The cable is copper.This sentence uses cuivre to describe what a cable is made of.Tatoeba #8312917 by Julien_PDC, translation #9324446 by AlanF_US
- Cette cuillère est en cuivre.This spoon is made of copper.This sentence shows how to describe a spoon as being made of cuivre.Tatoeba #8636622 by felix63, translation #10963997 by samir_t
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A jeweler's shop where they are looking at raw materials.
- HugoEst-ce que ce bijou contient du cuivre ?Does this piece of jewelry contain copper?
- LéaOui, il y a un peu de cuivre dedans.Yes, there is a little copper in it.
- HugoLe cuivre est difficile à travailler ?Is copper difficult to work with?
- LéaPas vraiment, c'est un métal malléable.Not really, it is a malleable metal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “copper” translations and entries cuivre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuivre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
