pouces
The English phrase "inches" is translated into French as pouces.
pouces refers to a unit of length in the imperial system equal to one twenty-fifth of a foot. While the metric system is the standard in France, you will still encounter the term pouces in French-speaking regions like Quebec or when discussing North American technical specifications.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the singular form pouce, which literally means "thumb".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term is notably used in French-speaking regions such as Quebec.
Did you know?
- In France, screen sizes for televisions and smartphones are almost always listed in pouces, even though the rest of the country uses the metric system.
- The word pouce is also used in the expression 'donner un coup de pouce', which means to give someone a helping hand or a boost.
- In certain old French contexts, the 'inch' was not a standardized constant but was actually based on the physical size of the person's own thumb.
Examples in context
- Tom fait deux pouces de plus que Mary.Tom is two inches taller than Mary.This sentence is useful for expressing a difference in height using pouces.Tatoeba #6537416 by GB3, translation #6537403 by Hybrid
- Cette cuisinière fait 44 pouces de large.This cooktop is 44 inches wide.This sentence is useful for describing the width of an object using pouces.Tatoeba #6816147 by GB3, translation #4978851 by Hybrid
- Il est plus grand que moi de deux pouces.He is taller than I by two inches.This sentence is useful for expressing how much taller someone is using pouces.Tatoeba #8540587 by Whidou, translation #406264 by blay_paul
- La distance est de 10 pouces.The distance is 10 inches.
- La largeur de la boîte est de quatre pouces.The width of the box is four inches.
- J'ai acheté une télévision de 50 pouces.I bought a 50-inch television.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are looking at a small decorative frame.
- LucasLe cadre fait combien de pouces ?How many inches is the frame?
- ChloéIl fait environ dix pouces.It is about ten inches.
- LucasC'est un peu petit pour moi.That is a bit small for me.
- ChloéOn peut trouver plus grand.We can find a larger one.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
