sucre glace
/sy.kʁə ɡlas/masculine
The French phrase for powdered sugar is sucre glace. Wiktionary also lists sucre à glacer and sucre en poudre.
Meaning: very finely ground sugar used in icings, etc (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sucre glace | /sy.kʁə ɡlas/ | masculine |
| sucre à glacer | Canada, masculine | |
| sucre en poudre | /sy.kʁ‿ɑ̃ pudʁ/ | Canada, colloquial, masculine |
| sucre impalpable | /sy.kʁ‿ɛ̃.pal.pabl/ | Belgium, masculine |
The term refers to very finely ground sugar used in icings, etc.
What does it mean word for word?
The term sucre glace literally translates to 'ice sugar', referring to the fine, crystalline texture.
Which one should you use?
In Canada, you may encounter sucre à glacer or the colloquial sucre en poudre. In Belgium, the term sucre impalpable is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase sucre en poudre is a colloquial way to say powdered sugar, particularly in Canada.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada, sucre à glacer is a common way to refer to powdered sugar.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/sy.kʁə ɡlas/
Did you know?
- The French word sucre can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱorkeh₂, which originally meant 'gravel'.
- In French, the word glace is a homonym that can mean 'ice', 'mirror' or 'ice cream'.
- In French culinary terms, glacer can mean both to coat something in a sugary glaze and to chill it rapidly in ice water.
Examples in context
- Je n'aime pas le sucre en poudre.I don't like powdered sugar.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike for sucre en poudre.Tatoeba #2504887 by sacredceltic, translation #2283608 by CK
- Je voudrais de la tarte aux fraises saupoudrée de sucre glace, s'il vous plaît.I would like some strawberry pie sprinkled with powdered sugar, please.
- Il faut saupoudrer les beignets de sucre à glacer.You should sprinkle the donuts with powdered sugar.
- Saupoudrez le gâteau avec du sucre glace.Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar.
- Est-ce qu'il reste du sucre glace ?Is there any powdered sugar left?
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are preparing a dessert in the kitchen.
- LéaNathan, peux-tu apporter le sucre glace ?Nathan, can you bring the powdered sugar?
- NathanOui, le voici.Yes, here it is.
- LéaMerci, j'en ai besoin pour les crêpes.Thanks, I need it for the crepes.
- NathanC'est une excellente idée.That is an excellent idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “powdered sugar” translations and entries sucre glace, sucre en poudre, sucre impalpable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, glace, glacer, poudre, sucre, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
