jambon
/ʒɑ̃.bɔ̃/
The French word for ham is jambon.
jambon refers to the thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat. You may see different types of ham labeled as jambon fumé (smoked ham), jambon cuit (cooked ham) or jambon sec (dry-cured ham).
Meaning: thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Paris region of France, jambon de Paris is a specific variety of cooked ham.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒɑ̃.bɔ̃/
Did you know?
- In French, calling someone a jambon is a common way to call them a 'dummy' or a 'sucker'.
- France is famous for jambon de Bayonne, a dry-cured ham that is legally protected by a designation of origin to ensure it only comes from the Basque region.
- While English uses 'ham' for both the cut of meat and the whole leg, jambon specifically refers to the cured or cooked product, whereas the raw leg is called cuisse.
Examples in context
- Je sens du jambon.I smell ham.This sentence is useful for expressing the sense of smell regarding jambon.Tatoeba #8974740 by Micsmithel, translation #13443181 by rul
- Le jambon est arrivé.The ham arrived.This sentence is useful for describing the arrival of jambon.Tatoeba #1869265 by nimfeo, translation #2333018 by Gulliver
- Elle cuisit un jambon.She baked a ham.This sentence is useful for describing the act of baking jambon.Tatoeba #2270216 by sacredceltic, translation #2230206 by Hybrid
- Je voudrais du jambonI would like some ham
- Une tranche de jambon, s'il vous plaîtA slice of ham, please
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are at a local deli.
- LucasEst-ce qu'il reste du jambon ?Is there any ham left?
- ManonOui, j'en prends une tranche pour toi.Yes, I am taking a slice for you.
- LucasMerci, ce jambon a l'air délicieux.Thank you, this ham looks delicious.
- ManonC'est le meilleur jambon du marché.It is the best ham in the market.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry jambon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
