pomme de terre
/pɔm də tɛʁ/feminine
The English word potato is translated into French as pomme de terre. Wiktionary also lists patate.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pomme de terre | /pɔm də tɛʁ/ | feminine |
| patate | /pa.tat/ | feminine, informal |
Both pomme de terre and patate refer to the starchy plant tuber eaten as a vegetable. To specifically refer to a sweet potato, use patate douce.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase pomme de terre literally translates to apple of the earth.
Which one should you use?
Pomme de terre is the standard, neutral term used in most contexts, whereas patate is an informal way to refer to the vegetable.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Pomme de terre is the neutral, standard term suitable for any situation. Patate is an informal term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, patate is widely used. In Belgium, both pomme de terre and patate are used.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both pomme de terre and patate are feminine nouns. To make pomme de terre plural, you write pommes de terre, adding an s to pomme but not to terre.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔm də tɛʁ/
Did you know?
- The phrase avoir la patate is a common idiom meaning to be full of energy or very enthusiastic.
- In French, calling someone a patate is a slang way to describe them as clumsy or slow.
- The informal word patate actually traces its roots back to the Spanish word patata, which originated from the Taíno word for sweet potato.
Examples in context
- Je suis une pomme de terre.I am a potato.This sentence shows how to use pomme de terre to identify oneself.Tatoeba #6591296 by GB3, translation #6590457 by Eccles17
- Mary lança une pomme de terre par la fenêtre.Mary threw a potato through the window.This sentence uses pomme de terre in the context of throwing an object.Tatoeba #6763998 by GB3, translation #6763696 by Eccles17
- Quand la pomme de terre fut-elle introduite au Japon ?When was the potato introduced into Japan?This sentence uses pomme de terre to discuss its historical introduction to a country.Tatoeba #459477 by sacredceltic, translation #639921 by CM
- La pomme de terre est un aliment de base dans de nombreux plats français.The potato is a staple in many French dishes.
- Je prépare une purée de pommes de terre pour le dîner.I am preparing mashed potatoes for dinner.
- On fait des frites avec des patates.We make fries using potatoes.
- J'ai cuisiné un délicieux gratin de patates.I cooked a delicious potato gratin.
- Tu aimes les frites de patates douces ?Do you like sweet potato fries?
- J'adore la purée de patates douces.I love sweet potato mash.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are cooking dinner together.
- EmmaEst-ce qu'il reste une pomme de terre ?Is there one potato left?
- LucasOui, il y en a encore trois.Yes, there are still three.
- EmmaSuper, je vais éplucher la pomme de terre.Great, I am going to peel the potato.
- LucasD'accord, je m'occupe du reste.Okay, I'll take care of the rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations and entries pomme de terre, patate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, patate, pomme, pomme de terre, terre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
