French · Food & Drink
"Salt" in French: sel
le sel
Salt in French is le sel. Say Passe-moi le sel and du sel for some salt. Fine salt is sel fin; coarse is gros sel.
Dinner table
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How to pronounce sel
Say it
sel
/sɛl/
Sel. Clear e as in bed; final l light.
"Salt" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le sel | the salt Default. | Default. |
| du sel | some salt Partitive. | Partitive. |
| sel fin / gros sel | fine / coarse salt Types. | Types. |
| salière | salt shaker Tableware. | Tableware. |
How to use sel in real life
- 1Dinner table
Tu me passes le sel ?
Will you pass me the salt?
Request.
- 2Cooking
Ajoute une pincée de sel.
Add a pinch of salt.
Recipe.
- 3Too bland
Il manque un peu de sel dans la soupe.
The soup needs a bit of salt.
Taste.
Mistakes English speakers make with sel
Incorrect: La sel est fine.
Correct: Le sel est fin.
Sel is masculine.
Incorrect: Passe le salt.
Correct: Passe le sel.
Use sel.
Good to know
French tables often keep sel and poivre together. Sale means salty/dirty depending on context—different from the noun sel. Gros sel is common with buttered radishes.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Seasoning roasted veggies
ChatPal
Tu as mis du sel ?
Did you add salt?
You
Oui, un peu de sel, pas trop.
Yes, a little salt—not too much.
ChatPal
Goûte. Encore une pincée de sel ?
Taste. Another pinch of salt?
You
Non, c'est bon.
No, it's good.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Salt" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Salt" in French
How do you say salt?
Le sel.
How do I ask someone to pass the salt?
Tu me passes le sel ?
What is fine salt?
Sel fin.
How do you pronounce sel?
Sel.
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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