poitrine de porc
feminine
The English phrase "pork belly" is translated into French as poitrine de porc.
poitrine de porc refers to a boneless cut of fatty meat. In culinary settings like a restaurant menu, the phrase is often shortened to just poitrine de porc or sometimes simply poitrine if it is already clear that the meat being discussed is pork.
Meaning: boneless cut of fatty meat (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word poitrine literally means "chest" or "breast", which refers to the anatomical location of this specific cut of meat.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, the phrase uses the feminine article la when referring to the specific cut as la poitrine de porc.
Did you know?
- The word poitrine shares its roots with the Spanish word pretina, which means 'waistband'.
- In traditional French butchery, the poitrine is often processed into lardons, the small salted strips of pork fat used to flavor soups and salads.
- In a French kitchen, poitrine de porc is often cured as lard, a term English speakers recognize as 'lard' but which in French refers to the cured slab of fat rather than just rendered oil.
Examples in context
- La poitrine de porc est délicieuse.The pork belly is delicious.
- Je voudrais cuisiner de la poitrine de porc.I would like to cook some pork belly.
- Avez-vous de la poitrine de porc fraîche ?Do you have fresh pork belly?
Example conversation
At a local butcher shop.
- ManonBonjour, est-ce que vous avez de la poitrine de porc ?Hello, do you have any pork belly?
- GabrielOui, j'ai une belle poitrine de porc aujourd'hui.Yes, I have a beautiful pork belly today.
- ManonParfait, je vais en prendre un kilo, s'il vous plaît.Perfect, I will take one kilo, please.
- GabrielTrès bien, je vous prépare cela tout de suite.Very well, I will prepare that for you right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pork belly” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, poitrine, porc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
