pruneau
/pʁy.no/masculine
The English word 'prune' is translated into French as pruneau.
In a culinary context, pruneau is used to refer to the dried fruit, while prune refers to the fresh fruit.
Meaning: dried plum (noun)
Which one should you use?
Be careful with the English word 'prune' as it can act as a false friend. The word 'prune' in French refers to a plum, whereas in English it specifically refers to a dried plum.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular masculine noun is pruneau, and its plural form is pruneaux.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/pʁy.no/', 'syllables': 2}
When do people say it?
You might encounter Poulet aux pruneaux, a classic French dish of chicken stewed with prunes, onions and white wine or Far breton aux pruneaux, a delicious Breton dessert made with prunes and a custard-like batter.
Did you know?
- In French, the word prune is used in the slang expression se prendre une prune, which means to receive a parking ticket or a fine.
- Because pruneau is a masculine noun, you would say un pruneau or les pruneaux, even though the fresh fruit prune is a feminine noun.
- The French word prune shares its root with the Latin word prunum, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'plum'.
Examples in context
- Tu veux un pruneau ?Do you want a prune?This sentence shows how to offer a pruneau to someone.Tatoeba #10123615 by lbdx, translation #6586362 by Eccles17
- Vous aimez les prunes ?Do you like prunes?
- Je mange un pruneau chaque matin.I eat a dried plum every morning.
- Ce gâteau contient un pruneau entier.This cake contains a whole dried plum.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are shopping at a local market.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'il y a un pruneau dans ce sac ?Is there a dried plum in this bag?
- NathanNon, mais il y a des pruneaux ici.No, but there are dried plums here.
- ChloéNathan, achète-en pour nous.Nathan, buy some for us.
- NathanD'accord, je vais en prendre un paquet.Okay, I will get a pack.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prune” translations and entries pruneau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
