croissant
/kʁwa.sɑ̃/
The English word 'crescent' is translated into French as croissant.
In French, croissant refers to a shape that is in the form of a crescent.
Meaning: a shape in a crescent (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word croissant is the present participle of the French verb croître, which means 'to grow'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun croissant follows standard French rules for forming the plural by adding an 's' to become croissants. To specifically refer to a crescent moon, you should use the phrase croissant de lune.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /kʁwa.sɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The famous pastry was actually created in Austria, where it was called the kipferl. French bakers later adopted it and gave it the name croissant because of its crescent shape.
- French has a specific word, croissant, for the waxing moon, but uses the word décroissant for the waning moon.
- The word croissant is a linguistic relative of the English word 'increase', as both stem from the same Latin root 'crēscō' meaning 'to augment'.
Examples in context
- Le croissant français est une pâtisserie en forme de croissant.The French croissant is a crescent-shaped pastry.This sentence uses croissant to describe a pastry.Tatoeba #10713072 by lbdx, translation #2326907 by Hybrid
- Le croissant de lune et l'étoile sont un symbole de l'Islam.The crescent moon and star is a symbol of Islam.This sentence uses croissant to describe a moon.Tatoeba #2329907 by sacredceltic, translation #2326895 by Hybrid
- On considère que le Croissant Fertile est le berceau de la civilisation.The Fertile Crescent is considered to be the cradle of civilization.This sentence uses croissant to refer to a geographical region.Tatoeba #3399294 by sacredceltic, translation #3393826 by Hybrid
- J'ai vu un croissant de lune ce matin.I saw a crescent moon this morning.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are looking at the night sky.
- HugoRegarde la lune, elle a la forme d'un croissant.Look at the moon, it is shaped like a crescent.
- EmmaOui, c'est un très beau croissant ce soir.Yes, it is a very beautiful crescent tonight.
- HugoEst-ce que tu vois le petit croissant là-bas ?Do you see the little crescent over there?
- EmmaNon, je ne vois rien, Hugo.No, I don't see anything, Hugo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry croissant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries croissant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
