gelée
/ʒə.le/feminine
The English word "jelly" is translated into French as gelée.
gelée is used to refer to a dessert made by boiling gelatin.
Meaning: dessert made by boiling gelatin (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, people might use gelée de fruits to refer to jelly-like fruit preserves.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word gelée is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə.le/
Did you know?
- French speakers use gelée royale to refer to 'royal jelly', the nutrient-rich secretion used to feed queen bees.
- The word gelée is the feminine past participle of the verb geler, meaning 'to freeze'.
- In a French kitchen, you might encounter gelée de viande, which is a meat jelly or aspic, a concept quite different from the sweet fruit jellies common in English.
Examples in context
- Ma gelée ne prend pas.My jelly won't set.This sentence is useful for saying that your gelée is not setting.Tatoeba #12156070 by Taibouche, translation #5798944 by nickyeow
- La gelée deviendra ferme quand elle refroidira.Jelly sets as it cools.This sentence shows how gelée becomes firm while cooling.Tatoeba #457641 by sacredceltic, translation #51279 by sundown
- Il aime la gelée.He likes jelly.This sentence shows an expression of liking gelée.Tatoeba #354307 by bourdu, translation #354301 by Hautis
- Je vais préparer une gelée de framboises pour le dessert.I'm going to make a raspberry jelly for dessert.
- Passe-moi la confiture, s'il te plaît.Pass me the jelly, please.
- Tu devrais essayer la gelée au champagne, elle est délicieuse !You should try the champagne jelly, it's delicious!
- On fait souvent de la gelée de fruits maison au Canada.We often make homemade fruit jelly in Canada.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are in the kitchen after making dessert.
- EmmaCette gelée est délicieuse, Hugo.This jelly is delicious, Hugo.
- HugoMerci, Emma. Je suis content qu'elle te plaise.Thanks, Emma. I'm glad you like it.
- EmmaEst-ce qu'il y a encore de la gelée ?Is there any more jelly left?
- HugoOui, il en reste dans le frigo.Yes, there is some left in the fridge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jelly” translations and entries gelée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
