poule
/pul/feminine
The French word for hen is poule.
The term is used to refer to a female chicken.
Meaning: female chicken (noun)
Which one should you use?
While poule is the standard term, cocotte is an alternative used in informal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/pul/
Did you know?
- Calling a woman ma poule is an affectionate, though very informal, way to say 'my dear' or 'honey'.
- The term poule is used in the phrase être une poule mouillée, which describes someone as a 'wet hen' to call them a coward.
- In French gambling and sports, a poule refers to a betting pool or a tournament group.
Examples in context
- La poule a pondu un œuf.The hen has laid an egg.Tatoeba #2966717 by Blabla, translation #49844 by CK
- Jean a regardé la poule.Jean looked at the hen.Tatoeba #5301963 by martin9, translation #9011765 by jaydenms
- La poule a huit poussins.The hen has eight chicks.Tatoeba #1450521 by martin9, translation #2463530 by Anon
- La poule pond des œufs.The hen lays eggs.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are visiting a small farm.
- HugoRegarde cette belle poule, Emma.Look at this beautiful hen, Emma.
- EmmaElle est très mignonne.She is very cute.
- HugoEst-ce qu'elle est grosse ?Is she fat?
- EmmaNon, elle est juste un peu ronde.No, she is just a little round.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hen” translations and entries poule, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
