le poulet
The English phrase "the chicken" is translated into French as le poulet.
The term le poulet is used to refer to the meat of the chicken in a culinary context. However, in French slang (argot), le poulet is a common term for a police officer.
Which one should you use?
In a culinary context, le poulet refers to the meat of the chicken, whereas la poule refers to the living bird (the hen).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, change the article to les and add an s to the noun: les poulets.
Did you know?
- In French slang, calling a police officer un poulet can be seen as more mocking or derogatory than calling them un flic.
- French speakers use the phrase causer comme une poule to describe someone who talks incessantly or chatters aimlessly.
- The word poulet is a diminutive form, created by adding the suffix -et to the word poule to denote a smaller or younger bird.
Examples in context
- Le poulet est cru.The chicken is raw.This sentence is useful for describing the raw state of le poulet.Tatoeba #4114944 by GB3, translation #4104550 by Hybrid
- Le poulet est cuit.The chicken is cooked.This sentence is useful for describing the cooked state of le poulet.Tatoeba #7086904 by felix63, translation #7088595 by Eccles17
- Tom pluma le poulet.Tom plucked the chicken.This sentence is useful for describing the action of plucking le poulet.Tatoeba #6486496 by GB3, translation #3422257 by CK
- J'ai mangé le poulet.I ate the chicken.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'on mange le poulet ce soir ?Are we eating the chicken tonight?
- ManonOui, Gabriel, j'ai préparé le poulet.Yes, Gabriel, I prepared the chicken.
- GabrielC'est parfait, j'adore le poulet.That's perfect, I love chicken.
- ManonContente que ça te plaise !I'm glad you like it!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, poulet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
