paille
/paj/
The French word for straw is paille.
Paille is used to refer to straw as a material or a drinking straw. If you are referring to a single piece of straw or a single blade of grass, you might use the word brin.
How does it change in a sentence?
Paille is a feminine noun, so you use the indefinite article une when saying "a straw" (une paille).
How do you pronounce it?
/paj/
Did you know?
- The French term for a 'straw man' argument is l'épouvantail, which literally translates to 'scarecrow'.
- The word paille comes from the Latin palea, which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'flour' or 'dust'.
- French cuisine features a specific dish called 'pommes paille', which refers to potatoes cut into extremely thin, straw-like strips.
Examples in context
- Tom portait un chapeau de paille.Tom wore a straw hat.This sentence shows how to use paille to describe a hat made of straw.Tatoeba #6620430 by GB3, translation #6620369 by Hybrid
- Elle a bu le jus avec une paille.She drank the juice with a straw.This sentence demonstrates the use of paille as a drinking straw.Tatoeba #11172298 by lbdx, translation #9128400 by sundown
- Il a tiré la paille la plus courte.He drew the shortest straw.This sentence uses paille in the context of the idiom for drawing the shortest straw.Tatoeba #11172296 by lbdx, translation #3696768 by Lindoula
- Je voudrais une paille, s'il vous plaît.I would like a straw, please.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are at a café drinking cold beverages.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu as une paille ?Do you have a straw?
- ChloéNon, je n'ai pas de paille.No, I don't have a straw.
- GabrielJe vais en demander une au serveur.I am going to ask the waiter for one.
- ChloéMerci, c'est très gentil, Gabriel.Thank you, that's very kind, Gabriel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry paille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries paille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
