eau

/o/
water

J'ai soif, donne-moi de l'eau.

I'm thirsty, give me some water.


general

The clear liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain, and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.

L'eau est essentielle à la vie.

Water is essential to life.

Elle boit de l'eau tous les matins.

She drinks water every morning.

Used in everyday contexts, scientific discussions, and idiomatic expressions.

geography

A body of water, such as a lake, river, or sea.

Le bateau navigue sur l'eau.

The boat is sailing on the water.

Often used in a poetic or descriptive sense.

chemistry

A solution or liquid containing a particular substance.

Une solution d'eau et de sucre.

A solution of water and sugar.

Common in scientific and technical contexts.

Collocations

eau potabledrinking watereau de pluierainwatereau doucefreshwatereau saléesaltwatereau couranterunning water

Antonyms

Related Phrases

eau de Colognephrase
a type of perfume
eau et feuphrase
fire and water, elements of destruction

Pro Tip

Gender and Articles

'Eau' is a feminine noun in French. Always use the feminine definite article 'l'' (l'eau) in singular contexts and 'les' in plural.

Gold Rule

Pronunciation

Pronounce 'eau' as /o/ in French, similar to the 'o' in 'hot' but shorter.

Word Origin

From Old French 'ewe', from Latin 'aqua', from Proto-Indo-European '*akʷā-' (water).

Usage Notes

The word 'eau' is feminine in French and is often used with the definite article 'l' (l'eau) in singular contexts.

Word Breakdown

eau
water
root
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais