vin
/vɛ̃/
The English phrase "wine" is vin in French.
vin refers to the alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice. It is important to distinguish between the beverage and the fruit it is made from. While vin is the drink, raisin refers to the grapes themselves.
Which one should you use?
While vin is the general term for the beverage, you may use more specific terms depending on the type: le rosé is used to refer specifically to rosé wine.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are ordering or referring to an unspecified quantity of wine, you should use the partitive article du instead of using the word vin alone, resulting in du vin (some wine).
How do you pronounce it?
/vɛ̃/
Did you know?
- The word vin is the root of the English word 'vinegar', which comes from the French vin aigre, literally meaning 'sour wine'.
- In France, the phrase vin d'honneur refers to a formal reception with drinks and appetizers, usually held after a wedding ceremony, and does not necessarily mean the wine is 'honorable'.
- A vin de paille is a sweet dessert wine made from grapes that have been dried on straw mats for several weeks or months.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais goûter le vin rouge, s'il vous plaît.I would like to taste the red wine, please.
- J'adore siroter un verre de rosé en terrasse.I love sipping a glass of rosé on the terrace.
- Un bon repas bourguignon ne serait pas complet sans un verre de Bourgogne.A good Burgundian meal wouldn't be complete without a glass of Burgundy.
- Je voudrais un verre de vin, s'il vous plaît.I would like a glass of wine, please.
- Ce vin blanc est très frais.This white wine is very fresh.
- Est-ce que tu préfères le vin rouge ?Do you prefer red wine?
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are having dinner at a restaurant.
- HugoEst-ce que tu veux du vin pour accompagner le plat ?Do you want some wine to go with the dish?
- LéaOui, un vin rouge serait parfait.Yes, a red wine would be perfect.
- HugoTrès bien, je vais commander une bouteille.Very well, I will order a bottle.
- LéaMerci, Hugo, c'est très gentil.Thank you, Hugo, that is very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
