pois
/pwa/masculine
The English word "pea" is translated into French as pois. Wiktionary also lists petit pois.
Meaning: edible seed (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pois | /pwa/ /pwɑ/ |
masculine |
| petit pois | /pə.ti pwa/ | masculine |
The term refers to the edible seed of the pea plant.
Which one should you use?
While pois is the general term for the edible seed, petit pois is a specific form.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both pois and petit pois are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa/
Did you know?
- French uses pois to describe certain patterns, such as pois blancs for white polka dots on fabric.
- The English word 'pea' and the French pois are distant cousins, both tracing their ancestry back to the same Ancient Greek word πίσος.
- In French, the word pois is a homophone for the word poids, which means 'weight'.
Examples in context
- Il y a une grande diversité de soupes de pois différentes.There is a great diversity of different pea soups.This sentence shows how the word pois is used when discussing varieties of pea soup.Tatoeba #2176961 by sacredceltic, translation #6825974 by Eccles17
- Ce fut le coup de chance de Mendel que l'arrivée du charançon du pois soit survenue après l'achèvement de la partie de ses recherches consacrée au pois.It was Mendel's good fortune that the arrival of the pea weevil postdated the completion of the pea part of his research.This sentence demonstrates the use of pois in a scientific context regarding research.Tatoeba #2128425 by sacredceltic, translation #2128078 by halfb1t
- La soupe aux pois est délicieuse.The pea soup is delicious.
- Mon grand-père fait une soupe aux pois cassés incroyable.My grandfather makes an incredible split pea soup.
- J'ai planté des fèves dans mon jardin, des petits pois et des pois cassés.I planted broad beans, peas, and split peas in my garden.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are cooking dinner together.
- LucasManon, est-ce qu'on a encore du pois ?Manon, do we have any peas left?
- ManonOui, il en reste dans le congélateur.Yes, there are some left in the freezer.
- LucasParfait, je vais les ajouter au riz.Perfect, I'll add them to the rice.
- ManonC'est une bonne idée, Lucas.That's a good idea, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pea” translations and entries pois, petit pois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries petit, pois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
