œuf pourri
The English phrase "rotten egg" is translated into French as œuf pourri.
This phrase refers to an egg that has decayed and is no longer fit to eat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun œuf (egg) and the adjective pourri (rotten).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective pourri must agree in gender and number with the noun œuf, which is masculine. When forming the plural, both the noun and the adjective take an s, resulting in œufs pourris for "rotten eggs".
Did you know?
- In French, the word œuf has a unique pronunciation shift where the final consonant is silent in the singular form but is pronounced as a 'f' sound in the plural œufs.
- The word œuf descends from the Classical Latin word ōvum, which is the same root used for the English word 'oval'.
- In French, the adjective pourri can be used figuratively to describe a person or a system that is corrupt, much like saying someone is 'rotten' in English.
Examples in context
- Cet œuf pourri sent très mauvais.This rotten egg smells very bad.
- Ne mange pas cet œuf pourri !Don't eat that rotten egg!
- J'ai trouvé un œuf pourri dans le frigo.I found a rotten egg in the fridge.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are cooking breakfast together.
- LéaHugo, regarde cet œuf pourri.Hugo, look at this rotten egg.
- HugoOh non, jette-le vite !Oh no, throw it away quickly!
- LéaJe vaisen prendre un autre.I am going to take another one.
- HugoC'est une bonne idée, Léa.That is a good idea, Léa.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries œuf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
