poêle
/pwal/feminine
The French word for pan is poêle.
poêle refers to a flat vessel used for cooking, such as a frying pan.
Meaning: flat vessel used for cooking (noun)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse the feminine noun poêle (frying pan) with the masculine noun poêle, which refers to a heating stove or heater.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern France, the term tian is often used to describe a specific type of pan used for cooking traditional dishes like gratins. In French-speaking Switzerland, the term poêlon is occasionally used to refer to a pan.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so you must use the feminine articles la or une when referring to a pan.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwal/
Did you know?
- The French verb poêler means to cook something in a pan, but it is also used in the textile industry to describe a specific way of treating fabric.
- The word poêle shares an ancestral connection with the Spanish word 'paella'. Both words evolved from the Latin 'patella', which referred to a shallow pan.
- The spelling of poêle is somewhat unusual due to the 'œ' ligature. This specific character is a result of historical spelling influences that consolidated different Old French pronunciations.
Examples in context
- Retire la poêle du feu.Take the pan off the fire.This sentence shows how to use poêle when moving a pan away from heat.Tatoeba #801199 by U2FS, translation #320143 by CK
- Tu as une poêle plus grande ?Do you have a bigger frying pan?This sentence uses poêle to ask about the size of a frying pan.Tatoeba #10945992 by lbdx, translation #3315054 by CK
- Je cuis ces légumes à la poêle.I'm cooking these vegetables in the pan.This sentence demonstrates cooking with poêle.Tatoeba #6932 by trotter, translation #12828727 by menaud
- J'ai acheté une nouvelle casserole pour ma cuisine.I bought a new pan for my kitchen.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In the kitchen, Emma is preparing breakfast.
- NathanEmma, tu peux me donner la poêle ?Emma, can you give me the pan?
- EmmaTiens, la voici, Nathan.Here, here it is, Nathan.
- NathanMerci, elle est parfaite pour les œufs.Thanks, it is perfect for the eggs.
- EmmaFais attention, elle est très chaude.Be careful, it is very hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pan” translations and entries poêle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poêle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
