The most common way to say “knife” in French is couteau. But just like a chef has more than one blade in their kitchen, the French language has several different words for this essential utensil.

As you dive deeper into French, whether you're navigating a bustling market, enjoying a fine meal, or simply expanding your culinary vocabulary, you'll find that one word isn't always enough.

Let's slice into 9 different ways to say “knife” in French and sharpen your language skills!

1. The standard 'knife' – un couteau

Un couteau is the most common and standard word for 'knife' in French. It is a masculine noun, so it is always used with masculine articles like un (a/an) or le (the). This is the essential term you'll need in most everyday situations.

The pronunciation can be tricky. It is pronounced roughly as coo-TOE. The final -eau combination in French typically creates a clear 'o' sound, similar to the 'o' in the English word 'boat'.

The plural form of couteau follows a common French grammar rule for words ending in -eau. The plural is couteaux. So, you have:

• un couteau (a knife)
• des couteaux (knives)

Importantly, the pronunciation of the singular couteau and the plural couteaux is identical. The context and the article (un vs. des) tell you whether it's singular or plural.

Couteau is a general-purpose term. It can refer to a kitchen knife (un couteau de cuisine), a steak knife (un couteau à steak), or a pocket knife (un couteau de poche). While more specific terms exist, couteau is always a correct and understood choice.

The word couteau also appears in popular French expressions. A famous one is un couteau suisse (a Swiss Army knife), used literally or figuratively to describe a multi-talented person. Another is remuer le couteau dans la plaie, which means 'to rub salt in the wound' (literally, 'to twist the knife in the wound').

💡 * Peux-tu me passer le couteau, s'il te plaît ? (Can you pass me the knife, please?)

• Attention, ce couteau est très aiguisé. (Be careful, this knife is very sharp.)
• J'ai acheté un lot de nouveaux couteaux pour la cuisine. (I bought a set of new knives for the kitchen.)
• Il a toujours son couteau suisse dans sa poche. (He always has his Swiss Army knife in his pocket.)

The 'kitchen knife' – un couteau de cuisine

The 'kitchen knife' – un couteau de cuisine

This is a straightforward and essential term for anyone in the kitchen. It literally translates piece by piece. Un couteau means 'a knife,' and the prepositional phrase de cuisine means 'of kitchen.' Together, you get 'a knife of the kitchen,' or simply, a 'kitchen knife.'

A key grammar point to remember is that the word couteau is masculine. This means you will always pair it with masculine articles like un (a/an) or le (the). For example, le couteau de cuisine means 'the kitchen knife.'

Pay close attention to the plural form. Most nouns in French add an -s, but nouns ending in -eau, like couteau, are irregular. The plural of un couteau is des couteaux. The '-x' is added, and the pronunciation remains the same.

Un couteau de cuisine is a general term. If you need a specific type of knife, you would use a more precise term, such as un couteau à pain (a bread knife) or un couteau d'office (a paring knife). However, couteau de cuisine is the perfect catch-all phrase.

💡 * Pour couper cette tomate, passe-moi un couteau de cuisine, s'il te plaît.

• Attention, ce couteau de cuisine est très tranchant.
• J'ai besoin d'aiguiser mes couteaux de cuisine avant de préparer le dîner.
• Où as-tu rangé les nouveaux couteaux de cuisine ?

1. The 'pocket knife' – un couteau de poche

A very practical and common object in France is un couteau de poche, which literally translates to 'a knife of pocket' or, more naturally, a 'pocket knife'.

The term is composed of two simple words you should know: un couteau (a knife) and la poche (the pocket). This literal construction makes it a very easy term to remember once you know the individual parts.

The word couteau is masculine, so you always use masculine articles like un or le. For example, le couteau de poche. The plural form is irregular: des couteaux de poche.

Pocket knives are deeply ingrained in French culture, especially for picnics (le pique-nique), hiking, or everyday tasks in rural areas. Famous French brands include Opinel and Laguiole, which are often given as traditional gifts.

A close synonym you might hear is un canif. While often used interchangeably, un canif can sometimes refer to a smaller, simpler penknife, whereas un couteau de poche is the more general and widely used term.

💡 * Il a sorti son couteau de poche pour couper une pomme.

• En France, beaucoup de gens ont un couteau de poche Opinel.
• J'ai besoin d'un couteau de poche pour ouvrir cette boîte.
• C'est un cadeau utile, un bon couteau de poche.

The 'steak knife' – un couteau à steak

The French term for a 'steak knife' is a direct and practical compound noun: un couteau à steak. This construction is common in French for specifying the purpose of an object.

Let's break it down: Un couteau means 'a knife.' The preposition à in this context means 'for' or 'used for.' Therefore, the phrase literally translates to 'a knife for steak.'

The noun couteau is masculine, so you always use masculine articles like un (a) or le (the). For the plural form, 'steak knives,' you say des couteaux à steak. Notice that only couteau becomes plural (couteaux); the 'à steak' part remains the same.

💡 * Pourriez-vous me donner un couteau à steak ? (Could you give me a steak knife?)

• Ces couteaux à steak ne coupent pas bien. (These steak knives don't cut well.)
• J'ai acheté un ensemble de six couteaux à steak. (I bought a set of six steak knives.)
• Le serveur a oublié d'apporter le couteau à steak. (The waiter forgot to bring the steak knife.)

1. The 'butter knife' – un couteau à beurre

Let's look at a common kitchen utensil: un couteau à beurre, the French term for 'butter knife'.

This is a compound noun. Un couteau means 'a knife,' and le beurre means 'the butter.' The preposition à connects them, indicating the knife's purpose, literally 'a knife for butter'.

The term un couteau à beurre is masculine because the main noun, couteau, is masculine. You'll always use masculine articles like un or le.

You'll use this term when setting the table for breakfast (le petit-déjeuner), asking for cutlery, or describing what you need to spread butter on your bread (une tartine).

To make it plural, you change the main noun: des couteaux à beurre. Notice that only couteau changes to its irregular plural form, couteaux.

💡 * Pouvez-vous me passer le couteau à beurre, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you pass me the butter knife, please?)

• J'ai besoin d'un couteau à beurre pour ma tartine. (I need a butter knife for my slice of bread with spread.)
• Les couteaux à beurre sont dans le tiroir de gauche. (The butter knives are in the left drawer.)
• Il manque un couteau à beurre sur la table. (There is a butter knife missing from the table.)

The 'paring knife' – un couteau d'office

In French, the small, versatile kitchen knife known as a 'paring knife' is called un couteau d'office.

A couteau d'office is a small knife with a short blade, essential for delicate kitchen tasks. It's the go-to tool for peeling fruits and vegetables, trimming fat from meat, or deveining shrimp. Think of it as the precision instrument of the kitchen knife block.

Literally, couteau means 'knife'. The word office in this context refers to a pantry or a small room adjacent to the kitchen where food preparation (like peeling vegetables) traditionally took place. So, un couteau d'office is the 'knife for the prep room,' which perfectly suits its function.

This is the standard, non-slang term. You will hear and see it in homes, restaurants, and stores throughout the French-speaking world. When asking for a small knife for peeling an apple or mincing garlic, un couteau d'office is the precise term to use.

💡 * Pourrais-tu me passer le couteau d'office, s'il te plaît ? (Could you pass me the paring knife, please?)

• J'utilise toujours un couteau d'office pour peler les pommes de terre. (I always use a paring knife to peel potatoes.)
• Ce couteau d'office est parfait pour couper les petits légumes. (This paring knife is perfect for cutting small vegetables.)
• Je dois acheter un nouveau couteau d'office ; le mien ne coupe plus bien. (I need to buy a new paring knife; mine doesn't cut well anymore.)

The 'bread knife' – un couteau à pain

The French term for 'bread knife' is un couteau à pain. This is the standard and most common way to refer to this specific kitchen utensil.

Let's break it down: un couteau means 'a knife,' and pain means 'bread.' The preposition à in this context is used to indicate the purpose of the object, essentially meaning 'for'. So, it literally translates to 'a knife for bread'.

The noun couteau is masculine in French. Therefore, you always use the masculine article un (a/an) or le (the) with it. For example, you would say le couteau à pain to refer to 'the bread knife'.

💡 * Pourrais-tu me passer le couteau à pain pour couper la baguette ? (Could you pass me the bread knife to cut the baguette?)

• J'ai besoin d'un bon couteau à pain pour ne pas écraser le pain de mie. (I need a good bread knife so I don't crush the sliced bread.)
• Ce couteau à pain a une lame bien dentelée. (This bread knife has a well-serrated blade.)

The 'switchblade' – un couteau à cran d'arrêt

The French term for a 'switchblade' is un couteau à cran d'arrêt.

Let's break down this phrase. Couteau means 'knife.' The part à cran d'arrêt literally translates to 'with a locking notch,' referring to the mechanism that locks the blade in place after it springs open.

This term is often found in crime novels, films, or legal contexts. Carrying a couteau à cran d'arrêt is heavily regulated or illegal in France and many other places due to its perception as a weapon.

A common synonym you might also hear is couteau automatique (automatic knife). Both terms describe the same type of spring-loaded knife.

💡 * Le policier a trouvé un couteau à cran d'arrêt dans la voiture du suspect.

• Dans le vieux film noir, le gangster menace le héros avec un couteau à cran d'arrêt.
• La possession d'un couteau à cran d'arrêt est interdite par la loi.

1. The 'dagger' or 'blade' – un poignard

The French word for a 'dagger' is un poignard. This is a masculine noun, so it is always preceded by articles like un or le. It specifically refers to a short, pointed stabbing weapon, similar to a dirk or a stiletto.

It's important to distinguish un poignard from un couteau. While couteau means 'knife' in a general sense (like a kitchen knife or a pocket knife), a poignard is explicitly a weapon designed for stabbing. The context is almost always related to combat, history, or crime.

The noun gives us the related verb poignarder, which means 'to stab' (with a dagger or similar pointed weapon). This verb is frequently used in historical narratives, literature, and news reports about violent attacks.

💡 * Le garde du roi portait un poignard orné à sa ceinture. (The king's guard wore an ornate dagger on his belt.)

• L'assassin a utilisé un poignard pour commettre son crime. (The assassin used a dagger to commit his crime.)
• Dans le roman, le héros a été poignardé dans le dos. (In the novel, the hero was stabbed in the back.)
• Une vieille légende parle d'un poignard magique. (An old legend speaks of a magic dagger.)

Are there other ways to say 'knife' in French?

Are there other ways to say “knife” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “knife” in French, focusing on the standard word, couteau. But French is a precise language, with many other terms for specific types of knives, from culinary tools to slang words.

You can discover more specialized vocabulary by searching for phrases like “les types de couteaux de cuisine” (types of kitchen knives) or looking up slang terms like un surin or un opinel (a brand that has become a generic term for a pocket knife).

You might find some interesting synonyms for couteau on this list. As always, be sure to check a word’s definition and context. For example, you wouldn't use the slang term surin in a fancy restaurant!

Pay attention as you watch French cooking shows, read crime novels, or browse online shops. You will start to notice the specific vocabulary used for different kinds of knives in various contexts.

If you're looking for more words related to cutlery or tools, the WordReference entry for couteau is a great place to start exploring compound nouns and related expressions.

I hope you found this guide helpful. To finish, here's a well-known French proverb: C'est le mariage de Jean le sot avec Jeanne la sotte; ils ont mangé le cochon jusqu'à la queue et le couteau est sur la table. (It's the marriage of John the fool with Joan the fool; they ate the pig down to the tail and the knife is on the table.) It's a colorful way to describe a situation where everything has been used up or spent.