French · Food & Drink
"Onion" in French: oignon
l'oignon
Onion in French is l'oignon, masculine. Des oignons are onions. Éplucher des oignons means to peel onions. The spelling keeps gn; pronunciation is roughly o-NYOHN.
Cooking prep
Coupe l'oignon en petits dés.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce oignon
Say it
o-NYOHN
/ɔ.ɲɔ̃/
Oignon is o-NYOHN. The gn is like ny in canyon. Nasal on at the end. Silent g in the middle cluster.
"Onion" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| l'oignon | the onion One onion. | One onion. |
| des oignons | onions Plural. | Plural. |
| oignon rouge / blanc | red / white onion Cooking. | Cooking. |
| soupe à l'oignon | onion soup Classic dish. | Classic dish. |
How to use oignon in real life
- 1Cooking prep
Coupe l'oignon en petits dés.
Cut the onion into small dice.
L'oignon.
- 2Market
Il me faut trois oignons pour la soupe.
I need three onions for the soup.
Plural oignons.
- 3Tears joke
Cet oignon me fait vraiment pleurer.
This onion is really making me cry.
Kitchen cliché.
Mistakes English speakers make with oignon
Incorrect: La oignon est forte.
Correct: L'oignon est fort.
Oignon is masculine; use l'oignon.
Incorrect: Un onion dans la poêle.
Correct: Un oignon dans la poêle.
Spell oignon.
Good to know
Soupe à l'oignon is bistro canon. Spelling oignon surprises learners—the gn makes the ny sound, and the word is masculine despite ending in -on.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Making dinner together
ChatPal
Tu gères l'oignon, je m'occupe de l'ail.
You handle the onion; I'll do the garlic.
You
Ok. Cet oignon est énorme.
Okay. This onion is huge.
ChatPal
Parfait pour quatre personnes.
Perfect for four people.
You
Je coupe fin.
I'll chop it fine.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Onion" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Onion" in French
What is onion in French?
L'oignon (masculine).
How do you pronounce oignon?
O-NYOHN.
What is onion soup?
Soupe à l'oignon.
Is it feminine?
No—masculine: un oignon.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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