pièce
/pjɛs/feminine
The English word "patch" (meaning a piece of cloth used to repair a garment) is translated into French as pièce.
When referring to a piece of cloth used to repair a garment, use the noun pièce. For the action of mending something by sewing on cloth, the related verb is rapiécer. In a computing context, such as updating source code with a patch, the related term is patcher.
Meaning: piece of cloth used to repair a garment (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun pièce is feminine, so when you want to say "a patch," you use the indefinite article une pièce.
How do you pronounce it?
/pjɛs/
Did you know?
- In French, a 'patch' used for medical purposes, such as a nicotine patch, is not called a pièce. Instead, it is called un patch or un timbre, the latter meaning 'a postage stamp'.
- The word pièce is a linguistic shapeshifter, meaning a 'patch' of cloth, a 'room' in a house, a 'coin' or a 'play' in a theater. In French, these are all conceptualized as a 'piece' or 'section' of a larger whole.
- The term pièce rapportée refers to something added later that does not fit the original style, much like a physical patch. It is often used metaphorically to describe a person who doesn't fit into a social group.
Examples in context
- Avant de partir en vélo, vérifiez toujours si vous avez une rustine de rechange.Before going cycling, always make sure you have a spare patch.
- Il faut coudre une pièce sur ce pantalon.A patch must be sewn onto these pants.
- Je vais coudre une pièce sur ton manteau.I am going to sew a patch onto your coat.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are looking at Hugo's old jeans in the living room.
- LéaTon jean est troué à l'endroit.Your jeans have a hole right there.
- HugoTu peux me coudre une pièce dessus ?Can you sew a patch on them for me?
- LéaOui, je vais chercher une pièce bleue.Yes, I will look for a blue patch.
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Léa.Thank you very much, Léa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “patch” translations and entries pièce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
