noyau
/nwa.jo/masculine
The English word "nucleus" is translated into French as noyau.
The term noyau is used to mean a core or the central part of something. This includes scientific contexts, such as referring to the nucleus of an atom or a cell.
Meaning: core, central part of something (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, noyau refers to the pit, stone or core of a fruit, such as a peach or an apricot.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /nwa.jo/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- In the context of French computing, a noyau refers specifically to the kernel of an operating system.
- The English word 'newel', which refers to the central pillar of a staircase, is a distant linguistic relative of the French noyau.
- In French, you can speak of the noyau dur of a group, which refers to the 'hard core' of people who are most committed or unchangeable.
Examples in context
- Les globules rouges n'ont pas de noyau.Red blood cells have no nucleus.This sentence demonstrates the use of noyau when discussing red blood cells.Tatoeba #11946983 by lbdx, translation #8637436 by Eccles17
- Vous êtes tous les deux le noyau de l'équipe.You two are the nucleus of the team.This sentence shows how noyau can be used to describe the central part of a team.Tatoeba #477424 by sacredceltic, translation #17624 by Zifre
- Le noyau de l'atome est entouré d'un nuage d'électrons.The atom's nucleus is surrounded by an electron cloud.This sentence illustrates the scientific use of noyau in relation to an atom.Tatoeba #10498771 by lbdx, translation #3958360 by Hybrid
- Pierre étudie le noyau de l'atome en physique.Pierre is studying the nucleus of the atom in physics.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing the structure of a fruit in the kitchen.
- NathanIl faut enlever le noyau de la cerise.You have to remove the pit of the cherry.
- ChloéC'est le noyau qui est au centre, non ?The pit is in the center, right?
- NathanOui, c'est la partie centrale du fruit.Yes, it is the central part of the fruit.
- ChloéJe vais le jeter à la poubelle.I am going to throw it in the trash.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nucleus” translations and entries noyau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries noyau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
