couteau
/ku.to/masculine
The English word "knife" is couteau in French.
The most common and neutral term for a knife is couteau. You can use couteau de cuisine to specifically refer to a kitchen knife. If you are talking about a sickle-shaped knife used for harvesting or agriculture, the term faucille is used. In France, a Swiss Army Knife is called a couteau suisse.
Meaning: utensil or tool designed for cutting (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in the French Alps, a folding pocket knife might be referred to as an Opinel.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of couteau is couteaux.
How do you pronounce it?
/ku.to/
Did you know?
- In certain French culinary contexts, the term office is used to describe a small, specific type of paring knife.
- The word couteau comes from the Latin cultellus, which was a diminutive form meaning 'little knife'.
- In traditional French dining etiquette, the couteau is always placed on the table with the cutting edge facing inward toward the plate.
Examples in context
- Il y a un couteau.There is a knife.This sentence is useful for stating the presence of a couteau.Tatoeba #3603204 by Micsmithel, translation #3603007 by Jesse
- Tu as un couteau ?Do you have a knife?This sentence is useful for asking if someone possesses a couteau.Tatoeba #6365661 by Aiji, translation #3823220 by CK
- Où est le couteau ?Where's the knife?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a couteau.Tatoeba #5306820 by Aiji, translation #4495078 by CK
- Le chef cuisinier a aiguisé son couteau de cuisine .The chef sharpened his kitchen knife.
- Mon frère a toujours un canif dans sa poche.My brother always has a pocket knife in his pocket.
- Mon père m'a offert un Opinel pour mon anniversaire.My father gave me an Opinel for my birthday.
- 233 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- HugoManon, peux-tu me passer ce couteau ?Manon, can you pass me this knife?
- ManonTiens, Hugo. Est-ce qu'il est propre ?Here, Hugo. Is it clean?
- HugoOui, il est parfait pour le pain.Yes, it is perfect for the bread.
- ManonD'accord, je coupe les légumes alors.Okay, I will cut the vegetables then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “knife” translations and entries couteau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries couteau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
