ail
/aj/masculine
Garlic in French is ail.
Meaning: plant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ail is a masculine noun. To count specific parts of the plant, use it with other nouns: gousse d'ail refers to a single clove of garlic, while tête d'ail refers to a whole head of garlic.
How do you pronounce it?
/aj/
Did you know?
- In French culinary terminology, you might encounter the term ail des ours, which does not refer to the common garlic clove but actually means 'wild garlic' or ramsons.
- In French folklore, hanging 'ail' near a doorway was traditionally believed to protect a household from 'le mauvais œil', or the 'evil eye'.
- The word ail shares its Latin root with the English word 'allium', which is the scientific name for the genus that includes garlic, onions, and leeks.
Examples in context
- La soupe goûte l’ail.The soup tastes of garlic.This sentence shows how to describe the flavor of a dish using ail.Tatoeba #746282 by Cocorico, translation #60992 by shekitten
- Ajoutez deux gousses d'ail.Add two cloves of garlic.This sentence demonstrates how to use the word to specify a quantity of cloves with ail.Tatoeba #10628932 by lbdx, translation #10131195 by AlanF_US
- L'ail est bon pour la santé.Garlic is good for one's health.This sentence provides an example of a common statement about the health benefits of ail.Tatoeba #5309404 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5309373 by Luornu
- L'ail est un ingrédient essentiel en cuisine.Garlic is an essential ingredient in cooking.
- Tu as mis de l'ail dans cette sauce?Did you put garlic in this sauce?
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- GabrielManon, as-tu acheté de l'ail ?Manon, did you buy some garlic?
- ManonOui, j'ai pris un peu d'ail.Yes, I got a little garlic.
- GabrielC'est parfait pour cette sauce.That is perfect for this sauce.
- ManonJe vais le couper tout de suite.I will chop it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garlic” translations and entries ail, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ail, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
