sachet
/sa.ʃɛ/masculine
The French word for pouch is sachet. Wiktionary also lists blague à tabac and étui à munitions.
Meaning: small bag (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sachet | /sa.ʃɛ/ | masculine |
| blague à tabac | ||
| étui à munitions | ||
| bourse | /buʁs/ | |
| poche | /pɔʃ/ | |
| petit sac | masculine | |
| sac postal | masculine | |
| pochon | /pɔ.ʃɔ̃/ | masculine |
Which one should you use?
While sachet is a general term for a small packet, bourse is used in a literary context to describe a small pouch, such as a coin pouch. For a protective case used for small objects like ammunition or glasses, use étui à munitions or étui. In casual speech, pochon refers to a small, lightweight plastic bag or a small drawstring bag. For a general description of a small bag, you can also use petit sac.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the word sacoche is used to refer to a small bag or a pouch-like container.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sachet is a masculine noun, so you would say un sachet to mean a pouch or a packet.
How do you pronounce it?
The word sachet is pronounced /sa.ʃɛ/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word blague can mean a 'joke' or a 'small pouch', because the concept of something being 'puffed up' or 'vain' connects the two ideas.
- While bourse means 'pouch' in a literary sense, it is also the word for a 'stock exchange' in French, reflecting the historical use of pouches for money trading.
- The word pochon is frequently used in modern French slang to refer specifically to a small plastic bag used for transporting illegal drugs.
Examples in context
- J'ai une pochette pleine de cristaux de quartz clair.I have a pouch full of clear quartz crystals.This sentence shows how to use the word poche to describe a pouch containing crystals.Tatoeba #10862882 by Micsmithel, translation #7060732 by mervert1
- Mon collègue a rangé le contrat dans la pochetteMy colleague put the contract in the pouch
- Mon amie range ses clés dans la poche de son sacMy friend keeps her keys in the pouch of her bag
- J'ai mis mes crayons et mon cahier dans ma sacocheI put my pencils and notebook in my pouch
- J'ai rangé les pièces de monnaie dans ma bourseI put the coins in my pouch
- J'ai mis mes stylos dans ma sacocheI put my pens in my pouch
- J'ai rangé mes médicaments dans mon pochonI put my medicine in my pouch
- Ce sachet contient des herbes séchées.This small pouch contains dried herbs.
- Elle a acheté un sachet de perles.She bought a small pouch of pearls.
Example conversation
Léa is showing Gabriel a gift she found.
- GabrielQu'est-ce qu'il y a dans ce sachet ?What is in this small pouch?
- LéaC'est un petit sachet de bijoux pour toi.It is a small pouch of jewelry for you.
- GabrielOh, merci beaucoup, Léa !Oh, thank you so much, Léa!
- LéaDe rien, Gabriel.You're welcome, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pouch” translations and entries sachet, bourse, poche, pochon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blague, petit, sac, sachet, tabac, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
