Poivron vs. poivre
The French words poivron and poivre are related to peppers but have distinct meanings and uses in culinary contexts.
Poivron
A2Poivron refers to bell pepper, a large, mild, sweet pepper typically used as a vegetable in cooking.
J'ajoute des poivrons rouges à ma salade.
(I add red bell peppers to my salad.)
Le ratatouille contient des poivrons, des aubergines et des courgettes.
(Ratatouille contains bell peppers, eggplants, and zucchini.)
Les poivrons verts sont moins sucrés que les rouges.
(Green bell peppers are less sweet than red ones.)
Poivre
A1Poivre means pepper, specifically the spice made from ground peppercorns, used to season food.
Ajoutez du sel et du poivre à votre goût.
(Add salt and pepper to taste.)
Le steak au poivre est un plat français classique.
(Steak au poivre (pepper steak) is a classic French dish.)
J'ai acheté du poivre noir en grains.
(I bought whole black peppercorns.)
Summary
While poivron refers to bell peppers used as a vegetable, poivre denotes the spice made from peppercorns. Poivron is milder and used in larger quantities in cooking, while poivre is more potent and typically used sparingly for seasoning.