pain à l'ail
masculine
The English phrase "garlic bread" is translated into French as pain à l'ail. Wiktionary also lists chapon.
Meaning: bread topped with garlic (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pain à l'ail | masculine | |
| chapon | /ʃa.pɔ̃/ | masculine |
The term refers to bread topped with garlic.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, pain à l'ail means "bread with the garlic".
How does it change in a sentence?
When ordering or referring to an unspecified amount of garlic bread, use the partitive article du pain à l'ail.
Did you know?
- The word pain shares the same Latin root as the English word 'companion', which literally means 'someone you share bread with'.
- While pain à l'ail describes the food, French culture famously associates garlic with the 'repelling' of evil spirits or diseases, a belief that persists in some rural folklore.
- The word ail is a homophone for aile, which means 'wing'.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais commander du pain à l'ail, s'il vous plaît.I would like to order some garlic bread, please.
- J'ai préparé du pain à l'ail rôti pour le repas de ce soir.I've prepared some roasted garlic bread for tonight's meal.
- Je voudrais un pain à l'ail, s'il vous plaît.I would like a garlic bread, please.
- Le pain à l'ail est délicieux.The garlic bread is delicious.
- Est-ce qu'il reste du pain à l'ail ?Is there any garlic bread left?
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are ordering food at a restaurant.
- HugoEst-ce que tu veux commander du pain à l'ail ?Do you want to order some garlic bread?
- EmmaOui, j'adore ça !Yes, I love that!
- HugoParfait, je vais en prendre pour nous deux.Perfect, I will get some for both of us.
- EmmaMerci, Hugo, tu es très gentil.Thank you, Hugo, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garlic bread” translations and entries chapon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chapon, pain, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
