perle
French, noun
perle is spelled P-E-R-L-E (5 letters) and appears 6.2 times per million words in written French, the 9,615th most frequent French word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Perle is a French feminine noun meaning “pearl (gem produced by molluscs)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of perler. With an accent, perlé is a different word: “beaded”. The French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) defines it as “Globule ordinairement d’un blanc argentin, à reflets irisés, qui se forme dans certaines coquilles par une…”.
What does perle mean in English?
noun
- 1
femininepearl (gem produced by molluscs)
- 2
femininebead (of any material)
- 3
femininepearl, gem (lovely person or thing, excellent example)
verb
- 1
first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- 2
second-person singular imperative
adjective
- 1
beaded
- 2
pearl
verb
- 1
past participle of perler
Source: English Wiktionary, French section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How French dictionaries define it
noun: 1. Globule ordinairement d’un blanc argentin, à reflets irisés, qui se forme dans certaines coquilles par une extravasation de la nacre. 2. Chose qui a l'éclat de la nacre. 3. Chose qui a la forme ronde de la perle ; goutte d’un liquide, de rosée. 4. Petites boules de verre, d’émail, de métal, qui sont percées d’un trou et dont on se sert pour faire divers ornements.
adjective: 1. Couleur gris neutre et doux à très légèrement verdâtre. #CECECE #C7D0CC
adjective: 1. Qui est orné de perles. -- Note d’usage : Dans ce sens, il n’est guère usité qu’en héraldique. 2. Qui est en forme de perle. 3. Légèrement effervescent, en parlant d’un vin. 4. Qualifie l'orge dont les grains sont dépouillés de leur glumelle et arrondis par la meule.
The definition in the French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), in French.
Source: French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of perle
- perles plural
- perlée feminine
- perlés masculine plural
- perlées feminine plural
Source: English Wiktionary and French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to perle
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is perle in French?
perle appears 6.2 times per million words in written French.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).