miel
/mjɛl/masculine
In French, honey is said as miel.
The word miel refers specifically to the sweet substance produced by bees. While English speakers sometimes use the word honey as a term of endearment for a person, in French, miel is used strictly for the food.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun miel is masculine, so it is used with masculine articles such as le or un. When you are referring to an unspecified amount of honey rather than a specific quantity, use the partitive article du instead of le.
How do you pronounce it?
/mjɛl/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use miel as a term of endearment for a person. Instead, use chéri or chérie.
Did you know?
- The French word miel is an unexpected relative of the English word 'mellifluous', which literally means flowing like honey.
- While English uses 'honey' for a partner, French uses mon chou, which refers to a 'cabbage' or a 'cream puff', to achieve a similar effect.
- France has strict laws regarding the labeling of miel, requiring specific botanical origins to be listed if it is marketed as a monofloral honey.
Examples in context
- Où est le miel ?Where's the honey?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the miel.Tatoeba #6809765 by GB3, translation #6809746 by Eccles17
- L'ours aime le miel.Bears like honey.This sentence shows a general preference for miel.Tatoeba #12212734 by Maritzanka, translation #6608632 by Hybrid
- L'ours mange du miel.The bear is eating honey.This sentence demonstrates the use of the partitive article with miel.Tatoeba #8344122 by felix63, translation #8352692 by lirpa
- Je voudrais du miel avec mon thé, s'il vous plaît.I would like some honey with my tea, please.
- Auriez-vous du miel d'abeille à me recommander?Could you recommend me some bee honey?
- Comment ça va, chérie?How are you, honey?
- Tu es adorable, mon petit chou!You're adorable, my little cabbage!
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are preparing breakfast together.
- NathanTu veux du miel dans ton thé ?Do you want some honey in your tea?
- ManonOui, s'il te plaît, Nathan.Yes, please, Nathan.
- NathanJe ne trouve pas le pot de miel.I cannot find the jar of honey.
- ManonIl est dans le placard, Manon.It is in the cupboard, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey” translations and entries miel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
