paille
/paj/
The French word for drinking straw is paille.
paille refers to a thin tube used for sucking a liquid out of a container.
What does it mean word for word?
The word paille literally means straw, such as the dried stalks of grain used for bedding or decoration.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so you use the feminine article une or la when referring to a straw.
How do you pronounce it?
/paj/
Did you know?
- The word paille is related to the French word paillette, which means 'sequin' or 'glitter', because both refer to small, thin flakes.
- While paille is the standard term, you may see pailles réutilisables on menus in France due to strict national laws banning single-use plastic straws.
- In some French regional dialects, a paille can refer to a specific type of traditional straw hat, rather than the tube used for liquids.
Examples in context
- Tu peux me passer une paille pour mon soda, s'il te plaît?Can you pass me a straw for my soda, please?
- Je voudrais une paille, s'il vous plaît.I would like a straw, please.
- Il y a une paille dans mon verre.There is a straw in my glass.
- Peux-tu me donner une paille ?Can you give me a straw?
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are at a cafe.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu veux une paille ?Do you want a straw?
- GabrielOui, je veux bien, merci.Yes, I would like one, thanks.
- EmmaTiens, voici ta paille.Here, here is your straw.
- GabrielC'est gentil, Emma !That's kind of you, Emma!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry paille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
