exquis
/ɛk.ski/
The English phrase "exquisite" is translated into French as exquis.
While it can describe beauty or art, it is very frequently used in French to describe food that is exceptionally delicious.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, using the feminine form exquise for feminine nouns. The masculine singular form exquis remains unchanged in the masculine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɛk.ski/.
Did you know?
- The word exquis is a linguistic relative of the English word 'inquire', as both stem from the Latin 'exquirere'.
- Calling a person exquis in France is a high compliment for their charm and manners, rather than describing their physical appearance as 'delicate'.
- Using exquis to describe a simple or basic meal in a casual setting can be interpreted as sarcasm or being overly dramatic.
Examples in context
- Cette soupe est exquise.This soup is exquisite.This sentence shows how to use exquis to describe the quality of a soup.Tatoeba #8537457 by Aiji, translation #36141 by AlanF_US
- C'est un petit tableau exquis.This is an exquisite little painting.This sentence shows how to use exquis to describe a painting.Tatoeba #8444162 by lbdx, translation #55572 by CM
- J'ai goûté un morceau de tarte et c'était exquis.I tasted a bit of pie and it was exquisite.This sentence shows how to use exquis to describe the taste of a piece of pie.Tatoeba #12388357 by Rovo, translation #12391328 by Miktsoanit
- La robe qu'elle portait était superbe.The dress she was wearing was exquisite.
- Le repas au restaurant était exquis.The meal at the restaurant was exquisite.
- La décoration de la salle était d'une élégance raffinée.The decoration of the room was of exquisite elegance.
- La vue depuis la terrasse était magnifique.The view from the terrace was exquisite.
- La musique de ce compositeur est tout simplement sublime.The music of this composer is simply exquisite.
- Ces fleurs sont exquises.These flowers are exquisite.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are tasting a fancy dessert at a restaurant.
- ChloéCe gâteau est vraiment exquis !This cake is truly exquisite!
- HugoJe suis d'accord, c'est délicieux.I agree, it's delicious.
- ChloéLe goût est exquis et léger.The taste is exquisite and light.
- HugoC'est le meilleur dessert ici.It's the best dessert here.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry exquis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries exquis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
