thé glacé
/te ɡla.se/Canada, masculine
The English phrase "iced tea" is translated into French as thé glacé. Wiktionary also lists ice tea and thé froid.
Meaning: cold tea (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| thé glacé | /te ɡla.se/ | Canada, masculine |
| ice tea | /a.is ti/ | France, masculine |
| thé froid | /te fʁwa/ | Switzerland, masculine |
This term refers to a cold tea drink.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of thé (tea) and glacé (iced/frozen).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the anglicism ice tea is commonly used, whereas thé glacé is the standard French term. In Canada, thé glacé is used and in Switzerland, thé froid is a common way to refer to iced tea.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun thé is masculine, so the adjective glacé takes the masculine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ɡla.se/
Did you know?
- The word thé actually traces its roots back to the Hokkien word tê, showing how tea culture traveled from China to Europe via Dutch traders.
- The word glacé is used for both 'iced' drinks and 'glazed' sweets, like fruits glacés or 'candied fruits'.
- While thé glacé is the standard, a French speaker might accidentally imply they want 'frozen tea' if they use the word glacé in a context suggesting ice cream or frozen treats.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais un verre de thé glacé.I want a cup of iced tea.This sentence is useful for ordering a glass of thé glacé.Tatoeba #400188 by sysko, translation #400187 by sysko
- Voudrais-tu davantage de thé glacé ?Would you like some more iced tea?This sentence is useful for offering more thé glacé.Tatoeba #5798331 by Toynop, translation #5790113 by Eccles17
- Je préfère le thé chaud au thé glacé.I like hot tea better than iced tea.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference between hot and thé glacé.Tatoeba #11965156 by lbdx, translation #8997934 by CK
- Bonjour, je voudrais un thé glacé, s'il vous plaît.Hello, I would like an iced tea, please.
- Voici votre thé glacé. Merci.Here's your iced tea. Thank you.
- Tu aimes le thé glacé ?Do you like iced tea?
Example conversation
A sunny afternoon at a terrace cafe.
- LucasEst-ce qu'il reste du thé glacé ?Is there any iced tea left?
- ManonOui, je peux t'en apporter un, Lucas.Yes, I can bring you one, Lucas.
- LucasParfait, j'ai très soif.Perfect, I am very thirsty.
- ManonJe te l'apporte tout de suite.I will bring it to you right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “iced tea” translations and entries thé glacé, ice tea, thé froid, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries froid, glacé, ice tea, thé, thé froid, thé glacé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
