croûte
/kʁut/
The English phrase "crust" translates to French as croûte.
The word croûte is used for the crust of bread, pizza or even the crust of a pie.
Meaning: bread foundation of pizza (noun)
Which one should you use?
While croûte refers to the outer layer of food, it can also mean a "crust" in a geological sense (earth's crust) or a "scab" on a wound.
How do you pronounce it?
/kʁut/
Did you know?
- The expression une croûte can be used as a derogatory term for a poorly painted piece of art, similar to calling a painting a 'daub' in English.
- In some French slang contexts, croûte can be used to describe something that is of very poor quality or 'rubbish'.
- The word croûte shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'crust', both stemming from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to freeze' or 'to harden'.
Examples in context
- Je ne mange pas la croûte.I don't eat the crust.This sentence is useful for saying that you do not eat the croûte.Tatoeba #10188428 by Rovo, translation #10614403 by AlanF_US
- Cette pizza a une croûte fine.This pizza has a thin crust.This sentence is useful for describing a pizza that has a thin croûte.Tatoeba #11932571 by lbdx, translation #2722175 by Hybrid
- Je n'aime pas la croûte du pain.I don't like bread crust.This sentence is useful for expressing that you do not like the croûte of bread.Tatoeba #8977165 by lbdx, translation #8926669 by CK
- Pour cette tarte, il faut une belle croûte croustillante.For this pie, you need a beautiful crispy crust.
- Veuillez retirer la croûte de votre pain avant de le servir.Please remove the crust from your bread before serving it.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are sharing a pizza at a restaurant.
- HugoEst-ce que tu aimes la croûte de cette pizza ?Do you like the crust of this pizza?
- ChloéOui, elle est très croustillante.Yes, it is very crispy.
- HugoMoi, je la trouve un peu trop épaisse.Personally, I find it a bit too thick.
- ChloéC'est vrai, mais elle est savoureuse.That's true, but it is tasty.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry croûte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries croûte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
