The brand name Carrefour is of French origin and is commonly pronounced in English approximation as "car-foo-r" or phonetically as kahr-fooer. In its native French pronunciation, it sounds closer to kaʁfuʁ, where the final syllable carries a soft "oo" sound followed by a silent or lightly articulated ending consonant blend. The word itself translates directly from French as crossroads or intersection, which was originally chosen by its founders to reflect the location of their very first supermarket opening. Correct pronunciation can vary slightly depending on the local language accents of the various international countries where the corporation operates thousands of local grocery outlets and neighborhood convenience shops.