d'or
/d‿ɔʁ/
The English word 'golden' is translated into French as d'or or en or.
Meaning: made of, or relating to, gold (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| d'or | /d‿ɔʁ/ |
| en or | /ɑ̃.n‿ɔʁ/ |
In French, the translation for 'golden' depends on whether you are describing a physical object's material or using an idiomatic expression regarding a quality of gold.
What does it mean word for word?
The form d'or is a contraction of the preposition de (of) and the noun or (gold). The form en or uses the preposition en (in/made of) to indicate the material.
Which one should you use?
Use en or when you are specifically referring to the material composition of a physical object, such as jewelry. Use d'or when describing something as having the quality of gold or when using idiomatic expressions, such as in the phrase 'silence is golden'.
How do you pronounce it?
/d‿ɔʁ/
Did you know?
- The French word or shares an ancient root with the concept of 'dawn' or 'light', as both stem from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to glow'.
- The word or is a homonym in French and also means 'now' or 'yet' when used as a conjunction in storytelling.
- To describe a 'golden age', French uses l'âge d'or, which refers to a mythological era of peace and prosperity rather than just a period of wealth.
Examples in context
- Saisis l'œuf en or.Grab the golden egg.This sentence shows how to use en or to describe a physical object.Tatoeba #9557640 by Micsmithel, translation #4398835 by XenoKat
- Le silence est d'or.Silence is golden.This sentence illustrates the idiomatic use of d'or to express a quality.Tatoeba #762944 by U2FS, translation #762939 by U2FS
- Je veux une croix en or.I want a golden cross.This sentence demonstrates the use of en or for a physical item.Tatoeba #8636244 by Aiji, translation #2863759 by AlanF_US
- J'ai acheté une robe de couleur or .I bought a golden dress.
- Les rayons du soleil illuminaient la plage, créant un paysage doré à souhait .The sun rays lit up the beach, creating a perfectly golden landscape.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are looking at jewelry in a shop.
- LucasRegarde cette bague d'or, elle est magnifique.Look at this golden ring, it is magnificent.
- EmmaOui, mais elle a l'air très chère.Yes, but it looks very expensive.
- LucasC'est un cadeau d'or pour notre anniversaire.It is a golden gift for our anniversary.
- EmmaC'est très gentil, Lucas.That is very kind, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “golden” translations and entries d'or, en or, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, or, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
