poids
/pwa/masculine
The English word 'weight' is translated into French as poids.
poids is a masculine noun. If you want to specifically refer to weight as the force due to gravity, use pesanteur.
Meaning: force due to gravity (noun)
Which one should you use?
While poids refers to physical weight or mass, the term masse is used in scientific contexts to refer specifically to mass.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the final 'ds' in poids, but it should be silent.
Did you know?
- The spelling of poids was intentionally altered over time to look more like the Latin word pondus, even though it actually evolved from the Latin pēnsum.
- In French, you might hear the phrase poids lourd used to describe something very heavy, but it is also the standard term for a 'heavy goods vehicle' or truck.
- Unlike the English 'weight', which can sometimes feel clinical, saying someone 'a du poids' can mean they are an influential person in a social or political circle.
Examples in context
- Je perds du poids.I'm losing weight.This sentence is useful for saying you are losing poids.Tatoeba #129133 by sacredceltic, translation #275253 by CK
- Je prends du poids.I'm gaining weight.This sentence is useful for saying you are gaining poids.Tatoeba #129134 by Julien_PDC, translation #275254 by CK
- Il a pris du poids.He has been gaining weight.This sentence is useful for saying he has been gaining poids.Tatoeba #130880 by Micsmithel, translation #289875 by CK
- Quel est votre poids?What is your weight?
- J'ai besoin de connaître le poids de cet objet.I need to know the weight of this object.
- Je dois calculer la masse des ingrédients de cette recette.I need to calculate the weight of the ingredients for this recipe.
- Quel est ton poids maintenant?What's your weight now?
- Ce sac a un drôle de poids !This bag has a weird weight!
- 248 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are at the gym.
- NathanCe poids est trop lourd pour moi.This weight is too heavy for me.
- LéaTu peux essayer un poids plus léger, Nathan.You can try a lighter weight, Nathan.
- NathanMerci, c'est plus raisonnable.Thanks, it's more reasonable.
- LéaBon courage pour ton entraînement !Good luck with your workout!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weight” translations and entries poids, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poids, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
