How to Say “Turkey” in French: A Guide for English Speakers

As an English speaker learning French you’ll eventually need to learn how to say words like “turkey” in French. Knowing the French translations for common food items is key for traveling, dining, and shopping in France.

The French word for turkey is “la dinde”. It’s a feminine noun, so you would say “la dinde” when referring to the bird. Here’s a quick guide to help English speakers learn how to pronounce dinde, use it in a sentence, and understand its history.

Breaking Down the Pronunciation

La dinde is pronounced “lah deend”. The first syllable “din” rhymes with the English word “pen”. The second syllable “de” sounds like the English word “duh”. And the final syllable “de” rhymes with the English word “wand”.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Lah – Sounds like “la” in English
• Deen – Rhymes with “pen”
• Duh – Sounds like the English word
• D – Rhymes with “wand”

So put it together and you get “lah deend”,

Putting Dinde in Context

Once you can pronounce la dinde, you’ll want to start using it in sentences Here are some examples

• J’adore manger de la dinde à Noël. (I love eating turkey at Christmas).
• Est-ce qu’il y a de la dinde dans ce sandwich? (Is there turkey in this sandwich?)
• Ma dinde préférée est rôtie avec des herbes. (My favorite turkey is roasted with herbs).

In these sentences, you can see that la dinde takes the feminine article “la”. And like any food item, it can be used with verbs like manger (to eat) and preparer (to prepare).

Understanding the History

You may be wondering why the French word for turkey is “la dinde”. After all, it doesn’t sound anything like “turkey”!

The word dinde actually comes from the French word “poulet d’Inde”, meaning “chicken from India”. When European explorers first encountered turkeys in the Americas, they mistakenly thought the birds were a type of Guinea fowl from India. So they called them “Indian chickens”, which eventually became shortened to dinde in French.

So while we now know that turkeys are native to North America, not India, the name “dinde” stuck in French. This reflects the interesting history of how new world foods were named in Europe.

Useful Turkey-Related Terms

Here are some other useful French words and phrases related to turkey:

• Le dindon – turkey (male bird)
• La dinde farcie – stuffed turkey
• Le rôti de dinde – roast turkey
• La sauce aux canneberges – cranberry sauce
• Le gras de dinde – turkey fat
• Éleveur de dindons – turkey farmer
• Ferme dindons – turkey farm

Learning food vocabulary prepares you for many common situations in French. With terms for turkey, you’ll be set for holiday meals and trips to the deli. Master la dinde and you’ll be gobbling along in French in no time!

Hopefully this breakdown takes some of mystery out of how to say “turkey” in French. With the pronunciation (lah deend), sample sentences, history, and extra vocabulary, you can start using la dinde confidently. Food words are hugely important when learning a new language, so mastering “turkey” is a big step forward. Gobble gobble and bon appétit!