œuf sur le plat
/œf syʁ lə pla/
The English phrase "sunny side up" is translated into French as œuf sur le plat. Wiktionary also lists œuf miroir and œuf au plat.
Meaning: type of fried egg (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| œuf sur le plat | /œf syʁ lə pla/ |
| œuf miroir | /œf mi.ʁwaʁ/ |
| œuf au plat | /œf o pla/ |
In a restaurant setting, if you want your egg fried without flipping it so the yolk remains visible, you should use œuf sur le plat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase œuf sur le plat literally translates to "egg on the plate".
Which one should you use?
œuf miroir is a more descriptive term used to emphasize the unbroken, reflective appearance of the yolk, similar to 'sunny side up'. The variation œuf au plat is also a common way to refer to this style of egg.
How do you pronounce it?
/œf syʁ lə pla/
Did you know?
- In French culture, a fried egg is often a key component of a croque-madame, which is a croque-monsieur sandwich topped with a sunny side up egg.
- The French word œuf descends from the Classical Latin word ōvum. This makes it a distant relative of the English word 'oval', which describes the shape of the egg.
- The French word plat in œuf au plat describes the flatness of the egg rather than the plate it is served on. It stems from the Greek word platús, meaning 'broad' or 'flat'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je voudrais des œufs sur le plat, s'il vous plaît.Hello, I would like sunny side up eggs, please.
- Puis-je avoir un œuf miroir, s'il vous plaît?May I have a sunny side up egg, please?
- Tu aimes les œufs sur le plat?Do you like sunny side up eggs?
- Je voudrais un œuf sur le plat, s'il vous plaît.I would like a sunny side up egg, please.
- Il mange un œuf sur le plat au petit-déjeuner.He eats a sunny side up egg for breakfast.
- L'œuf sur le plat est encore chaud.The sunny side up egg is still hot.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are eating breakfast at a cafe.
- LéaGabriel, comment veux-tu tes œufs ?Gabriel, how do you want your eggs?
- GabrielUn œuf sur le plat, s'il te plaît.A sunny side up egg, please.
- LéaD'accord, je commande ça pour toi.Okay, I will order that for you.
- GabrielMerci beaucoup, Léa.Thank you very much, Léa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunny side up” translations and entries œuf sur le plat, œuf miroir, œuf au plat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, miroir, plat, sur, œuf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
