eau
/o/
eau is the French word for water.
The word eau refers to the clear liquid that falls as rain and is used for drinking and washing.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because eau begins with a vowel, the definite article la elides to l'eau in the singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA pronunciation is /o/.
Did you know?
- In France, asking for une carafe d'eau at a restaurant ensures you receive a pitcher of tap water for free, whereas asking for de l'eau might result in a bill for bottled water.
- French has a specific term eau-forte, which literally means 'strong water', used to describe a type of etching process in art.
- The English word 'ea' meaning a river or watercourse is a distant relative of eau, sharing the same ancient root.
Examples in context
- Je préfère votre eau-de-vie à votre conversation.I prefer your eau de vie to your conversation.This sentence uses eau to illustrate its presence in the term eau-de-vie.Tatoeba #1928929 by Scott, translation #1929061 by Scott
- Je voudrais un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît.I would like a glass of water, please.
- L'eau est très froide aujourd'hui.The water is very cold today.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are sitting at a café.
- LucasEst-ce que tu veux de l'eau ?Do you want some water?
- EmmaOui, une bouteille d'eau fraîche, merci.Yes, a bottle of cold water, thank you.
- LucasJe vais la commander tout de suite.I will order it right away.
- EmmaC'est très gentil de ta part, Lucas.That is very kind of you, Lucas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
