charqui
masculine
The English phrase 'jerky' can be translated into French as charqui or jerky.
Meaning: Lean meat cured and preserved by cutting into thin strips and air-drying in the sun (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| charqui | masculine |
| jerky | masculine |
The term refers to lean meat that has been cured and preserved by being cut into thin strips and air-dried in the sun.
Which one should you use?
While the English loanword jerky is used in French, charqui is the more traditional or formal term, which is derived from Quechua.
Related words
Did you know?
- Because charqui is a loanword from Quechua, it is one of the few words in the French language that originates from an indigenous Andean language.
- A French person might distinguish charqui from viande séchée because the former implies a very hard, salty texture that requires chewing for a long time.
- While jerky is the trendy term today, the traditional charqui is often used in French anthropology and history books to describe pre-Columbian diets.
Example sentences for French are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are packing snacks for a trip.
- ManonLucas, as-tu pris du charqui ?Lucas, did you bring any jerky?
- LucasOui, j'en ai mis dans mon sac.Yes, I put some in my bag.
- ManonC'est parfait pour manger en marchant.It's perfect for eating while walking.
- LucasOn va adorer ce petit snack.We are going to love this little snack.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jerky” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
