French word

tournesol

Pronunciation

IPA/tuʁnəsɔl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsunflower

Example

J'ai planté un tournesol dans mon jardin.

I planted a sunflower in my garden.

Illustration for tournesol (sunflower)

More examples

Je mange des graines de tournesol comme collation.

I eat sunflower seeds as a snack.

Core concept

A tall annual plant with one large yellow flower head held toward the sun.

Common phrases

  • graines de tournesol

    sunflower seeds

  • huile de tournesol

    sunflower oil

Similar words

fleur: The open, colorful part of a plant, with many possible shapes and colors.
plante: A living thing that grows in soil and has roots, stems, and leaves.
graine: A small, hard plant seed from which a new plant can grow.
huile: A liquid cooking oil extracted from plant seeds or fruits.

Definition in French

Plante annuelle à grandes fleurs jaunes dont le capitule tourne vers le soleil et qui est cultivée pour ses graines.

Word origin

Tournesol derives from medieval French tournasol, formed from tourner and soleil to describe the flower head's apparent movement toward sunlight.

Usage tips

  • Tournesol is masculine, so standard phrases use un tournesol and le tournesol.

Word lists with this word