bouchée
feminine
The French word for mouthful is bouchée.
The word bouchée refers to the amount of food that can fit into one's mouth at a single time.
Meaning: amount that will fit in a mouth (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is derived from bouche (mouth) with the suffix -ée, which indicates a single action or a specific quantity.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, you use the feminine indefinite article une to say une bouchée (a mouthful). To express the phrase 'a mouthful of [something]', place the preposition de after the word to form une bouchée de.
Did you know?
- In French, bouchées à la reine are a traditional luxury appetizer consisting of puff pastry shells filled with a creamy mixture, specifically designed to be a single 'mouthful'.
- The word bouchée shares a root with the French adjective bouché, which is used to describe a muffled sound or a blocked pipe.
- The word bouchée shares the same Latin ancestor, 'bucca', as the English word 'cheek', which explains why the term is tied to the anatomy of the mouth.
Examples in context
- Ces petits fours sont délicieux, mais chaque bouchée est très richeThese bite-sized pastries are delicious, but each mouthful is very rich
- Ce gâteau est un truc de malade, tu dois absolument goûter une bouchée!This cake is an insane thing, you absolutely must taste a mouthful!
- Il a pris une grande bouchée de l'appétissant gâteau.He took a large mouthful of the appetizing cake.
- Prenez une petite bouchée pour commencer.Take a small mouthful to start.
- C'est une trop grosse bouchée pour moi.It is too big a mouthful for me.
- Il a avalé une bouchée de pain.He swallowed a mouthful of bread.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are eating lunch together.
- EmmaRegarde, Hugo, c'est une bouchée énorme !Look, Hugo, that is a huge mouthful!
- HugoC'est vrai, je ne peux plus avaler.It's true, I can't swallow anymore.
- EmmaTu devrais couper ton pain en morceaux.You should cut your bread into pieces.
- HugoTu as raison, je vais faire ça.You are right, I will do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mouthful” translations and entries bouchée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bouchée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
