caramel
/ka.ʁa.mɛl/
The English word 'toffee' is translated into French as caramel.
The word caramel is used to refer to this type of confectionery. While English speakers often distinguish between a soft caramel sauce and a hard, boiled sugar candy like toffee, French typically uses caramel to cover both concepts.
Meaning: uncountable: type of confectionery (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
caramel is a masculine noun. To make it plural, use caramels.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.ʁa.mɛl/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The French word caramel is a linguistic relative of the word chalumeau, which refers to a reed pipe or a blowtorch.
- While caramel is the general term, caramel au beurre salé is a highly prized regional delicacy from Brittany.
- In French, the word caramel is used to describe a specific golden-brown shade of hair or eyes, not just a taste.
Examples in context
- Cette barre de chocolat contient des morceaux de caramel.This chocolate bar has chunks of toffee in it.This sentence shows how to use caramel when describing ingredients in a chocolate bar.Tatoeba #9938292 by lbdx, translation #8606204 by handsomelyian
- Hier, j'ai mangé un caramel délicieux !Yesterday, I ate a delicious toffee!
- Je me suis régalé avec ce bonbon au caramel !I indulged in this caramel candy!
- J'adore le goût du caramel.I love the taste of toffee.
- Il reste un peu de caramel dans le pot.There is a little toffee left in the jar.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are sharing a snack in the kitchen.
- LucasTu veux un morceau de caramel ?Do you want a piece of toffee?
- ChloéOui, merci Lucas, c'est délicieux.Yes, thanks Lucas, it's delicious.
- LucasEst-ce que tu en veux plus ?Do you want more?
- ChloéNon, ça suffit pour aujourd'hui.No, that's enough for today.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry caramel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caramel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
