French · Food & Drink
"Pasta" in French: pâtes
les pâtes
Pasta in French is les pâtes, almost always plural. Say des pâtes for some pasta and pâtes fraîches for fresh pasta. A single type may still keep the plural.
Quick dinner
Je fais des pâtes avec du pesto.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pâtes
Say it
lay paht
/le pɑt/
Lay paht. Accent on â; final s usually silent. Feminine plural.
"Pasta" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| les pâtes | pasta Default plural. | Default plural. |
| des pâtes | some pasta Partitive-like. | Partitive-like. |
| pâtes fraîches | fresh pasta Quality. | Quality. |
| un plat de pâtes | a plate of pasta Serving. | Serving. |
How to use pâtes in real life
- 1Quick dinner
Je fais des pâtes avec du pesto.
I'm making pasta with pesto.
Des pâtes.
- 2Restaurant
Les pâtes sont excellentes ici.
The pasta is excellent here.
Les pâtes.
- 3Shopping list
Achete des pâtes complètes, s'il te plaît.
Buy some whole-wheat pasta, please.
Shopping.
Mistakes English speakers make with pâtes
Incorrect: La pâtes.
Correct: Les pâtes.
Use the plural les pâtes.
Incorrect: Le pasta.
Correct: Les pâtes.
French uses pâtes, not pasta.
Good to know
Pâtes are a weeknight staple in France too. Menus may list pâtes fraîches. Don't confuse with pâte (dough/pastry, singular) or pâté.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing tonight's easy meal
ChatPal
Pâtes ou riz ce soir ?
Pasta or rice tonight?
You
Des pâtes, j'ai encore de la sauce.
Pasta—I still have sauce.
ChatPal
Parfait. Je mets les pâtes à bouillir.
Perfect. I'll put the pasta on to boil.
You
Al dente, s'il te plaît.
Al dente, please.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Pasta" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Pasta" in French
How do you say pasta in French?
Les pâtes.
Why plural?
French treats pasta as pâtes—plural by default.
What are pâtes fraîches?
Fresh pasta.
How do you pronounce pâtes?
Paht—with â.
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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