pastèque
/pas.tɛk/feminine
The French word for watermelon is pastèque. Wiktionary also lists melon d'eau.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pastèque | /pas.tɛk/ | feminine |
| melon d'eau | /mə.lɔ̃ d‿o/ | masculine |
Which one should you use?
pastèque is a feminine noun, while melon d'eau is a masculine noun.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the term melon d'eau is commonly used for watermelon, whereas pastèque is the standard term in France.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because pastèque is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine indefinite article une or the feminine definite article la.
How do you pronounce it?
/pas.tɛk/
Did you know?
- The word pastèque is an example of a 'loanword' that traveled through three languages, moving from Arabic to Portuguese and finally into French.
- In France, the word melon usually refers to the musk melon or cantaloupe, so calling a watermelon a melon might lead a vendor to give you the wrong fruit.
- Because pastèque is feminine and melon d'eau is masculine, switching between the two terms requires changing the gender of the adjectives used to describe the fruit.
Examples in context
- Ziri aime la pastèque.Ziri loves watermelon.This sentence shows how to express a preference for pastèque.Tatoeba #10910383 by Amastan, translation #10221952 by Amastan
- Il déteste les pastèques.He hates watermelon.This sentence shows how to express a dislike for the plural form of pastèque.Tatoeba #10903319 by Lumpawurump, translation #8319002 by Amastan
- As-tu acheté une pastèque ?Have you bought a watermelon?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has purchased a pastèque.Tatoeba #11836 by Lulantis, translation #52452 by CK
- J'ai acheté une belle pastèque au marché.I bought a beautiful watermelon at the market.
- Veux-tu un morceau de melon d'eau ?Do you want a piece of watermelon?
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are preparing a fruit salad in the kitchen.
- HugoEst-ce qu'il reste de la pastèque ?Is there any watermelon left?
- LéaOui, j'ai coupé une petite pastèque.Yes, I cut a small watermelon.
- HugoC'est parfait pour la salade.That is perfect for the salad.
- LéaElle est très sucrée, Hugo.It is very sweet, Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “watermelon” translations and entries pastèque, melon d'eau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries melon, pastèque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
