trois
/tʁwa/
trois is the French word for three.
trois is used as the cardinal number 3. It can also be used as a noun to refer to the digit or figure 3.
Meaning: cardinal number 3 (num)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canadian French uses trois just like standard French.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The number trois is invariable, which means it does not change its form to match the gender or number of the nouns it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁwa/
Did you know?
- The phrase faire les troisneuf is an old French idiom meaning to be restless or to constantly change one's mind.
- When trois is followed by a word starting with a consonant, the 's' is silent, but it is pronounced as a 'z' sound in a liaison if the next word starts with a vowel.
- The French word trois shares a common ancestor with the English word 'three', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root '*tréyes'.
Examples in context
- Il a trois fils.He has three wires.This sentence shows trois used to count wires.Tatoeba #430773 by Archibald, translation #430775 by Archibald
- Tom a trois ans.Tom is three years old.This sentence shows trois used to state an age.Tatoeba #5939885 by Rovo, translation #5939034 by CK
- Au moins trois !At least three!This sentence shows trois used to express a minimum quantity.Tatoeba #13676365 by Orange, translation #13676366 by Orange
- 1912 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are ordering drinks at a café.
- HugoJe voudrais trois cafés, s'il vous plaît.I would like three coffees, please.
- LéaD'accord, et pour toi, Hugo ?Okay, and for you, Hugo?
- HugoDonne-moi trois biscuits aussi.Give me three biscuits too.
- LéaC'est noté, j'arrive tout de suite.Got it, I'll be right back.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “three” translations and entries trois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
