French word

persil

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛʁsi/

Meaning

  • masculine nounparsley

Example

Je mets du persil sur la salade.

I put parsley on the salad.

Illustration for persil (parsley)

More examples

Il ajoute du persil haché dans la soupe.

He adds chopped parsley to the soup.

Core concept

A small bunch of green leaves scattered over a dish to add a fresh herbal note.

Common phrases

  • persil haché

    chopped parsley

  • feuilles de persil

    parsley leaves

  • bouquet de persil

    a bunch of parsley

Similar words

basilic: A broad-leaved herb with a strong sweet aroma, used fresh or cooked in tomato dishes and pesto.
coriandre: A citrus-scented leafy herb used raw in salads and many ethnic dishes.
menthe: A fresh, cooling herb added raw to drinks and desserts.
thym: A small-leaved herb used fresh or dried to flavor stews and roasted foods.

Definition in French

Plante potagère aux feuilles aromatiques, utilisée en petite quantité comme condiment ou garniture pour parfumer les plats.

Word origin

Persil comes from Greek petroselinon, meaning rock celery, through Latin petroselinum and Old French persil, which reflects a shortened form.

Usage tips

  • Persil is masculine, so the usual phrase is du persil, as in Je mets du persil sur la salade.

Related words

  • persilladeparsley-garlic mixturenoun
  • persillésprinkled with parsleyadjective

Word lists with this word