mucus
/my.kys/masculine
The English word 'mucus' translates to the French word mucus. If unsure, use mucus. Wiktionary also lists mucosité.
Meaning: slippery secretion (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mucus | /my.kys/ | masculine |
| mucosité | /my.ko.zi.te/ | feminine |
The term refers to a slippery secretion.
Which one should you use?
While mucus refers to the substance itself, mucosité is often used in medical contexts to describe the state of being mucous or the presence of excessive mucus.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /my.kys/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In casual French, people rarely use the clinical mucus. Instead, they use the word morve, which specifically refers to the mucus found in the nose.
- In French, the word glaire is used to describe a specific type of thick, viscous mucus, often associated with the throat or cervical secretions.
- The French adjective muqueux can be used both to describe a biological membrane and to describe something that feels slimy or sticky to the touch.
Examples in context
- Les cellules pulmonaires sont dotées d'une sorte de peigne dont le battement continu expulse le mucus et les infections de vos poumons.There are comb-like strands in the lung cells, whose continuous beating drives mucus and infections out of your lungs.This sentence is useful for describing how lung cells use a comb-like mechanism to expel mucus and infections from the lungs.Tatoeba #10626477 by carlosalberto, translation #10626470 by carlosalberto
- Je suis constamment gêné par le mucus dans ma gorge.I am constantly bothered by mucus in my throat.
- Les sécrétions nasales étaient abondantes.The nasal secretions were abundant.
- J'ai trop de glaires en ce moment, c'est vraiment embêtant.I have too much mucus right now, it's really annoying.
- Le mucus protège la paroi de l'estomac.Mucus protects the lining of the stomach.
- Le médecin a examiné l'aspect du mucus.The doctor examined the appearance of the mucus.
Example conversation
Gabriel is telling Manon about his cold symptoms.
- GabrielJ'ai trop de mucus dans le nez.I have too much mucus in my nose.
- ManonTu devrais utiliser un spray nasal.You should use a nasal spray.
- GabrielEst-ce que ça élimine le mucus ?Does it get rid of the mucus?
- ManonOui, Gabriel, ça aide beaucoup.Yes, Gabriel, it helps a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mucus” translations and entries mucus, mucosité, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
