chou rouge
/ʃu ʁuʒ/masculine
The English phrase "red cabbage" is translated into French as chou rouge.
chou rouge is a masculine noun used to describe a variety of cabbage characterized by its red leaves.
Meaning: a variety of cabbage having red leaves (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of chou, meaning cabbage and rouge, meaning red.
How does it change in a sentence?
When forming the plural, chou rouge becomes les choux rouges. In this plural form, both the noun and the adjective take an 'x' and 's' respectively.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃu ʁuʒ/
Did you know?
- In French, the term mon petit chou is a common term of endearment for a loved one, much like 'sweetheart' in English.
- In French, the expression faire chou blanc means to return empty-handed or to fail a mission. It originates from a traditional game of bowls where a 'white cabbage' was the target.
- While 'red' describes the color of the leaves, in many French culinary contexts, this vegetable is also frequently referred to as chou violet.
Examples in context
- Je vais cuisiner du chou rouge ce soir.I am going to cook red cabbage tonight.
- Le chou rouge est un légume riche en vitamines.Red cabbage is a vegetable rich in vitamins.
- Il est préférable de choisir un chou rouge bien frais.It is better to choose a fresh red cabbage.
- Je préfère le chou rouge.I prefer red cabbage.
- Il reste du chou rouge dans le frigo.There is some red cabbage left in the fridge.
- Achetez un chou rouge pour la salade.Buy a red cabbage for the salad.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are at the grocery store.
- ManonNathan, est-ce qu'on a besoin de chou rouge ?Nathan, do we need red cabbage?
- NathanOui, pour accompagner le porc.Yes, to go with the pork.
- ManonPrends ce chou rouge, il est très beau.Take this red cabbage, it is very beautiful.
- NathanD'accord, je le mets dans le panier.Okay, I am putting it in the basket.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red cabbage” translations and entries chou rouge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
