tarte
/taʁt/feminine
The French word for pie is tarte.
tarte is a feminine noun used to refer to a type of pastry.
Meaning: type of pastry (noun)
Which one should you use?
In English, a distinction is often made between a 'pie' (which frequently has a top crust) and a 'tart' (which is often open-faced). However, the French word tarte is used broadly to cover both of these types of pastry.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, the term pâté à la viande is frequently used to refer to a meat pie.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/taʁt/
Did you know?
- To tarter someone in French slang means to give them a hard slap across the face.
- The word tarte shares its ancestry with the English word 'tart', but it also traces back to the Latin torta, meaning 'twisted' or 'turned'.
- In Québec, the Tarte au sucre is a cultural staple made with maple syrup or syrup-like sugar, unlike the fruit-based tarts common in France.
Examples in context
- Elle fit une tarte.She baked a pie.This sentence shows the use of tarte in the context of baking.Tatoeba #2270005 by sacredceltic, translation #2230207 by Hybrid
- Tom a une petite tarte.Tom has a small pie.This sentence shows tarte being used to describe a small pie.Tatoeba #7289663 by Rockaround, translation #7347824 by Eccles17
- Qui a fait cette tarte ?Who made this pie?This sentence is useful for asking who prepared a specific tarte.Tatoeba #777559 by U2FS, translation #276192 by CK
- Je voudrais une tarte, s'il vous plaît.I would like a pie, please.
- J'ai préparé une tourte délicieuse pour ce soir.I have prepared a delicious pie for tonight.
- Ma mère fait souvent une délicieuse tarte aux pommes à Noël.My mother often makes a delicious apple pie at Christmas.
- Je suis allé dans une pâtisserie et j'ai pris une part de tarte aux fruits rouges.I went to a pastry shop and had a piece of red fruit pie.
- Au barbecue familial, nous avons dégusté une tourte à la viande.At the family barbecue, we enjoyed a meat pie.
- J'aime beaucoup ces pâtés en croûte maison.I really like these homemade pies.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are in the kitchen after a meal.
- LéaTu veux une part de tarte, Gabriel ?Do you want a piece of pie, Gabriel?
- GabrielOui, s'il te plaît, Léa.Yes, please, Léa.
- LéaC'est une tarte au chocolat.It is a chocolate pie.
- GabrielElle a l'air excellente !It looks excellent!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pie” translations and entries tarte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
