mérou
/me.ʁu/
The English phrase "grouper fish" is translated into French as mérou.
A mérou is a large sea fish that lives in coral reefs and is often used for food.
Which one should you use?
While mérou is the general term, mérou de roche is often used to specify the rock grouper species.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Caribbean islands where Creole is spoken, vivaneau may be used to describe smaller species of grouper.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun mérou is masculine, so it is preceded by the masculine article le. To form the plural of mérou, you add an s to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
/me.ʁu/
Did you know?
- If you order 'le mérou' in a high-end French restaurant, you might receive a fish that is not biologically a grouper at all. Chefs often use the name as a prestigious label for various premium white fish.
- While the French word mérou is used across the Francophone world, it is actually a loanword borrowed from the Spanish word 'mero'.
- In some French-speaking Caribbean regions, the word vivaneau is used for grouper, even though it typically refers to snapper in other parts of the world.
Examples in context
- Le mérou est un poisson côtier très apprécié des amateurs de plongée sous-marine.The grouper is a coastal fish very much appreciated by scuba diving enthusiasts.
- Le mérou est un poisson très gros.The grouper is a very large fish.
- Nous mangeons du mérou ce soir.We are eating grouper tonight.
- Le mérou vit souvent dans les récifs.The grouper often lives in reefs.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are at a fish market.
- HugoEst-ce que ce mérou est frais ?Is this grouper fresh?
- ManonOui, il vient d'être pêché.Yes, it was just caught.
- HugoParfait, je vais l'acheter pour Manon.Perfect, I am going to buy it for Manon.
- ManonC'est un excellent choix de poisson.It is an excellent choice of fish.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mérou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mérou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
