Skip to content

coque

shell, hull

noun KOK Rare

Origin: From Old French 'coque', related to Latin 'concha' (shell).

Also means

phone case

Usage Note

coque covers both a natural shell (eggshell, mussel shell) and a protective hull (boat hull, aircraft fuselage). Un œuf à la coque is a soft-boiled egg — the most common collocation learners encounter. In modern usage, une coque de téléphone is a phone case.

Examples

"Elle mange un œuf à la coque chaque matin."

Natural Translation

She eats a soft-boiled egg every morning.

Literal Translation

She eats an egg in the shell every morning.

Explore French by topic