poisson
/pwa.sɔ̃/
The English word "fish" is translated into French as poisson.
poisson refers to an aquatic animal that lives in water and breathes through gills.
How does it change in a sentence?
poisson is a masculine noun. To make the word plural, you add an s to the end to form poissons.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa.sɔ̃/ (2 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse poisson (fish) with poison (poison) due to the similar spelling, but they are pronounced very differently.
Did you know?
- In the game of poisson d'avril (April Fish), French children play a prank similar to April Fools' Day by sticking a paper fish on someone's back.
- The French word poisson shares an ancestor with the English word 'piscine', which refers to a swimming pool. This connection highlights the common Latin root for things related to fish or water.
- While poisson means fish, the French word for a 'fishy' smell or something 'fishy' in a suspicious sense does not use this word, but instead uses the adjective louche to describe the suspicious nature.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais du poisson, s'il vous plaît.I would like some fish, please.
- Je mange un poisson ce soir.I am eating a fish tonight.
- On peut aller manger du poisson ce soir?Shall we go eat some fish tonight?
- Le poisson nage dans l'aquarium.The fish is swimming in the aquarium.
- Est-ce que ce poisson est frais ?Is this fish fresh?
- Elle a vu un gros poisson dans la rivière.She saw a big fish in the river.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are at a seafood market.
- NathanRegarde ce beau poisson bleu !Look at this beautiful blue fish!
- LéaIl est magnifique, Nathan.It is magnificent, Nathan.
- NathanEst-ce qu'on l'achète ?Are we buying it?
- LéaOui, il a l'air très bon.Yes, it looks very good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry poisson, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poisson, CC BY-SA 4.0.
