Meaning & use
eau de
Last updated
UK/əʊ də/
US/oʊ də/
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A French phrase meaning 'water of', used at the start of the names of scented liquids, especially perfumes.
Grammar: Always followed by another word: eau de toilette, eau de cologne.
Patterns
- eau de toilette
- eau de parfum
- eau de cologne
She wears an eau de toilette that smells of lemon and cedar.
The shop sells eau de parfum in several sizes.
Eau de cologne was originally made in a German city.
Common combinations
- eau de toilette
- He gave her a bottle of eau de toilette.
- eau de parfum
- Eau de parfum usually lasts longer than eau de toilette.
- eau de cologne
- Eau de cologne is the lightest of the three.
- eau de vie
- They finished the meal with a glass of pear eau de vie.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scent
- It is an ordinary English word for the smell itself, while eau de names a type of perfume product.
- fragrance
- It covers any pleasant smell or perfume product, whereas eau de only appears as the start of French-style product names.
- perfume
- It is the general word and also the strongest concentration, while eau de toilette is a lighter one.
Word family
Commonly confused: eau de or oh de?
eau de vs oh de
Learners sometimes spell the sound as oh; the French spelling is always eau.
Practice
What does eau mean in eau de toilette?
Choose one answer.
Eau is French for water. It is not itself the word for fragrance or spray, even though the product is a scented liquid.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eau de”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.