poulet
/pu.le/
poulet is the French word for chicken.
poulet refers to a domestic bird raised for its meat and eggs. You can use specific phrases to describe different preparations: poulet rôti for roast chicken, poulet grillé for grilled chicken and blanc de poulet when specifically referring to a chicken breast.
Which one should you use?
While poulet is used for the bird as food or the meat in general, the word coq is used specifically to refer to a rooster.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the word plural, add an 's' to form poulets.
How do you pronounce it?
/pu.le/
Did you know?
- In French slang, poulet is a common derogatory term for a police officer. It is similar to calling a cop a 'pig' in English.
- The diminutive suffix '-et' in poulet suggests that the word originally referred to a 'small hen' or a young bird, rather than the species in general.
- While poulet is the meat, the classic dish coq au vin specifically uses coq because the tougher meat of an older rooster requires the slow braising process in wine to become tender.
Examples in context
- J'ai préparé un délicieux plat à base de blanc de poulet.I prepared a delicious dish based on chicken breast.
- On mange du poulet ce soir?Are we eating chicken tonight?
- Je vais chercher du poulet rôti pour dîner ce soir.I am going to get roast chicken for dinner tonight.
- On prévoit de faire du poulet grillé pour le pique-nique.We are planning to make grilled chicken for the picnic.
- Je vais acheter un poulet pour le dîner.I am going to buy a chicken for dinner.
- Le poulet est très tendre dans ce plat.The chicken is very tender in this dish.
- Est-ce que tu préfères le poulet ou le bœuf ?Do you prefer chicken or beef?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are deciding what to cook for lunch.
- GabrielQu'est-ce qu'on mange ce midi ?What are we eating for lunch today?
- ChloéOn pourrait faire du poulet rôti.We could make some roast chicken.
- GabrielC'est une excellente idée, Chloé.That is an excellent idea, Chloé.
- ChloéJe vais préparer le poulet tout de suite.I will prepare the chicken right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry poulet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poulet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
