phở
masculine
The English phrase "pho" is translated into French as phở, a term for Vietnamese soup. Wiktionary also lists pho.
Meaning: Vietnamese soup (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| phở | masculine |
| pho | masculine |
For a more formal way to describe the dish while avoiding the foreign word, you can use the phrase soupe de nouilles à la vietnamienne.
Which one should you use?
Both are masculine nouns.
Did you know?
- The French term soupe de nouilles à la vietnamienne is a way to bypass the foreign word, but using it at a Vietnamese restaurant might actually make you sound like a tourist or a textbook.
- In France, you will often see phở listed on menus with the English spelling 'pho' instead of the Vietnamese accent, because many French keyboards and printing presses struggled with the tone marks for decades.
- While the English word is 'pho', French writers often retain the Vietnamese diacritic mark in phở to distinguish the rising tone of the original language.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais un phở au bœuf.I would like a beef pho.
- Le phở est délicieux ici.The pho is delicious here.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- LéaOn mange quoi pour le déjeuner ?What are we eating for lunch?
- NathanJ'ai très envie d'un phở.I really feel like having pho.
- LéaBonne idée, je t'accompagne !Good idea, I'll go with you!
- NathanSuper, on y va tout de suite.Great, let's go right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pho” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
