French word

fève

Pronunciation

IPA/fɛv/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfava bean

Example

Je prépare des fèves pour le dîner.

I am preparing fava beans for dinner.

Illustration for fève (fava bean)

More examples

Avant le repas, je fais cuire des fèves à l'eau.

Before the meal, I cook fava beans in water.

Core concept

A thick, flattened legume seed moving from pod to cooking pot.

Common phrases

  • faire cuire des fèves

    cook fava beans

  • salade de fèves

    fava bean salad

Similar words

haricot: A narrow bean commonly available dried or canned.
haricot vert: A tender, slender green bean commonly boiled as a side dish.
pois: A small, round pea used in soups or served as a side dish.

Definition in French

Graine comestible d'une légumineuse, large et aplatie, consommée fraîche, cuite ou sèche.

Word origin

The French noun fève developed from Latin faba through Old French, preserving the name of this traditional legume.

Usage tips

  • In galette des rois, fève commonly refers to the hidden object, now often a small figurine rather than an actual bean.

Other meanings

  • beannoun
  • figurinenoun

Word lists with this word