French word

vessie

Pronunciation

IPA/vesi/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbladder

Example

Ma vessie est pleine.

My bladder is full.

Illustration for vessie (bladder)

More examples

Il a une douleur à la vessie quand il urine.

He has bladder pain when he urinates.

Core concept

A soft storage sac whose size changes as fluid collects and leaves.

Common phrases

  • douleur à la vessie

    bladder pain

  • inflammation de la vessie

    inflammation of the bladder

  • se vider la vessie

    empty one's bladder

Similar words

toilettes: A place or facility used for urination or defecation.
WC: A shortened term for a toilet, often used on signs.
pipi: A childish or informal word for urine.
urine: Urine, in a somewhat formal register.

Definition in French

Organe creux en forme de sac qui stocke l'urine avant son évacuation par l'urètre.

Word origin

The noun vessie developed from Latin vesica through Old French, retaining the Latin sense of a bladder or hollow container.

Usage tips

  • In everyday French, bodily urgency is often expressed with aller aux toilettes or avoir envie de faire pipi instead of naming the organ.

Related words

  • vésicalvesicaladjective

Word lists with this word