poème
/pɔ.ɛm/masculine
The French word for poem is poème.
poème refers to a specific literary piece written in verse. In French, poème refers to the individual piece of writing, whereas poésie is used to refer to the art form or the genre of poetry. Within this category, specific genres like sonnet or haiku are also used.
Meaning: literary piece written in verse (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word poème refers to the literary work itself, whereas poésie refers to the art form or the genre of poetry.
How does it change in a sentence?
poème is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔ.ɛm/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While 'poésie' describes the abstract concept of poetry, the phrase faire de la poésie can sometimes be used idiomatically to describe someone who is being overly sentimental or unrealistic.
- The 19th-century French movement le Parnasse sought to create the 'perfect' poème by removing all personal emotion and focusing purely on technical form.
- The word poème shares its roots with the English word 'poem', but it also traces back to the Greek word for 'something made' or 'a creation'.
Examples in context
- Quel beau poème !What a beautiful poem!This sentence demonstrates how to express admiration for a poème.Tatoeba #10623442 by lbdx, translation #9407500 by CK
- Il relut le poème.He reread the poem.This sentence shows the use of poème in a sentence involving reading.Tatoeba #8475159 by Aiji, translation #5228788 by AlanF_US
- C'est un grand poème.That's a great poem.This sentence illustrates how to describe the quality of a poème.Tatoeba #452848 by sacredceltic, translation #395034 by CK
- Écouter un beau poème est une expérience inoubliable.Listening to a beautiful poem is an unforgettable experience.
- Cet auteur a publié de nombreuses compositions poétiques.This author has published numerous poetic compositions.
- Les vers de ce grand poète sont célèbres à travers le monde.The poems of this great poet are famous worldwide.
- Son dernier recueil de poèmes en vers est tout simplement époustouflant.His latest collection of rhymed poems is simply breathtaking.
- 115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are at a local library.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu as lu ce poème ?Have you read this poem?
- GabrielOui, c'est un poème très court.Yes, it is a very short poem.
- ChloéGabriel, est-ce que tu l'aimes ?Gabriel, do you like it?
- GabrielOui, je trouve ce poème magnifique.Yes, I find this poem magnificent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poem” translations and entries poème, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poème, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
