gombo
/ɡɔ̃.bo/masculine
The French word for okra is gombo.
gombo refers to the edible capsules of the plant *Abelmoschus esculentus*.
Meaning: edible capsules of A. esculentus (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
gombo is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of gombo is /ɡɔ̃.bo/. It has two syllables.
When do people say it?
Gombo Filé refers to a traditional Cajun okra soup thickened with sassafras leaves.
Did you know?
- The English word 'gumbo' for the stew is actually derived from the French gombo, which in turn comes from the African word for the vegetable.
- The word gombo is not of European origin, but was brought to French via the Antilles from the Kimbundu language of Central Africa.
- In French colonial history, gombo was one of the many African botanical terms adopted into the language due to the transatlantic slave trade.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais du gombo, s'il vous plaîtI would like some okra, please
- Tu as déjà goûté des doigts de dame ?Have you ever tasted lady's fingers?
- Le gombo est excellent dans ce ragoût.The okra is excellent in this stew.
- Je vais acheter du gombo au marché.I am going to buy some okra at the market.
- Ce gombo est très frais.This okra is very fresh.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are grocery shopping.
- GabrielOn a besoin de gombo pour le dîner.We need okra for dinner.
- ManonD'accord, je vais en prendre deux.Okay, I will take two.
- GabrielRegarde, ce gombo a l'air délicieux.Look, this okra looks delicious.
- ManonTu as raison, prenons-les !You are right, let's take them!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “okra” translations and entries gombo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gombo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
