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One of the quintessential parts of studying French is learning about food and how to order food. France and other French-speaking countries around the world have greatly contributed to the culture of la gastronomie. The French especially take great pride in their food and wine. Many French food words are so iconic they have made their way into the English language (la baguette, le champagne, and le restaurant come to mind).
Whether you are ready to make French cuisine at home or preparing to enjoy amazing restaurants on your next trip, keep reading to learn more about French words for food! Rosetta Stone is here to help you learn French!
The basics of ordering at a restaurant in French
After learning basic French words, perhaps next most important when learning about French food vocabulary is how to order at a restaurant. Below is a list of phrases you’ll want to understand and use:
| French | English |
| Bien sûr. | Of course. |
| Bonjour / Bonsoir. | Hello / Good evening |
| Comme entrée… | As an appetizer… |
| Comme plat principal… | For the main course… |
| Excusez-moi. | Excuse me |
| Je vais prendre… | I am going to have… |
| Je voudrais… | I would like… |
| Je vous écoute. | I’m listening. (Go ahead.) |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Merci. | Thank you. |
| Nous sommes (deux, trois, etc.). | We are (two, three, etc.). |
| Pour boire / Comme boisson… | To drink/For a drink… |
| Pour commencer… | To start… |
| S’il vous plaît. | Please |
| Un verre de vin blanc/rosé/rouge | A glass of white/rosé/red wine |
| Une carafe d’eau | A pitcher of water (tap water, free) |
| Voici la carte. | Here’s the menu. |
| Vous avez choisi ? | Have you decided? |
| Vous avez fini ? | Have you finished? |
| Vous êtes combien ? | For how many? |
There are many more situations that arise when ordering at French restaurants, especially for those with dietary restrictions. Knowing how to order food in French can take you further in your practice before your travels!
Basic French words for food
Have you ever wondered “What’s the French word for food?” There are actually a few translations, based on the context of the word.
| French | English |
| l’alimentation (f) | nutrition, diet |
| les aliments (m) | food (general), foodstuff |
| la nourriture | food, nourishment |
If you want to ask someone what their favorite food is, it’s actually not a direct translation. You need to literally ask them what their favorite dish (plat) is:
- C’est quoi ton plat préféré ? = What’s your favorite food?
- Mon plat préféré est le steak-frites. = My favorite food (dish) is steak with fries.
Fruits and vegetables
For when you want to stroll through an open-air market, it is very helpful to know French words for food, starting with les fruits et les légumes (fruits and vegetables):
| French | English |
| un abricot | an apricot |
| un ananas | a pineapple |
| une banane | a banana |
| une cerise | a cherry |
| une clémentine | a clementine |
| une figue | a fig |
| une fraise | a strawberry |
| une framboise | a raspberry |
| un kiwi | a kiwi |
| une mangue | a mango |
| un melon | a melon |
| une myrtille | a blueberry |
| une orange | an orange |
| un pamplemousse | a grapefruit |
| une pastèque | a watermelon |
| une pêche | a peach |
| une poire | a pear |
| une pomme | an apple |
| une prune | a plum |
| des raisins (m) | grapes |
| French | English |
| l’ail (m) | garlic |
| les asperges (f) | asparagus |
| un avocat | an avocado |
| le basilic | basil |
| le brocoli | broccoli |
| une carotte | a carrot |
| le céleri | celery |
| un chou | a cabbage |
| un chou-fleur | a cauliflower |
| un concombre | a cucumber |
| une courgette | a zucchini |
| les épinards (m) | spinach |
| la laitue | lettuce |
| le maïs | corn |
| un oignon | an onion |
| une patate douce | a sweet potato |
| les petits pois (m) | peas |
| un poivron (rouge, vert) | a pepper (red, green) |
| une pomme de terre | a potato |
| une tomate | a tomato |
When buying produce at un marché (a market), you can use similar language to ordering at a restaurant:
- Je voudrais trois kiwis, s’il vous plaît. = I would like three kiwis please.
- Je vais prendre un panier de cerises, s’il vous plaît. = I would like one basket of cherries please.
Don’t forget to bring your reusable bag and never touch the produce. Want to practice your pronunciation before you go? Use Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine to improve your French-speaking skills!
Meat and seafood
It’s also helpful when at a market or restaurant to know how to say your favorite meat and seafood options:
| French | English |
| le bacon | bacon |
| le bœuf | beef |
| les coquilles (f) | scallops |
| le crabe | crab |
| les crevettes (f) | shrimp |
| la dinde | turkey |
| les fruits de mer (m) | seafood |
| le homard | lobster |
| les huîtres (f) | oysters |
| les moules (f) | mussels |
| le mouton | mutton |
| le poisson | fish |
| le porc | pork |
| le poulet | chicken |
| le saumon | salmon |
| le steak | steak |
| le thon | tuna |
| le veau | veal |
| la viande | meat |
| la volaille | poultry |
Dairy products
Especially in a country like France that prides itself on its dairy products, you’ll want to make sure you know the following French food words:
| French | English |
| le beurre | butter |
| la crème | cream |
| le fromage | cheese |
| la glace | ice cream |
| le lait | milk |
| le yaourt | yogurt |
Since most shopping in France is done at specialty shops and markets, you’ll want to head to une fromagerie for your cheese and une crémerie for the rest of your dairy needs!
Desserts, breads and other useful words
Especially when traveling, you never want to turn down an opportunity to try the local desserts and bread products!
| French | English |
| une baguette | a baguette |
| un biscuit | a cookie |
| des bonbons (m) | candy |
| la confiture | jam |
| la crème brûlée | custard with burnt sugar |
| un croissant | a croissant |
| un éclair | an eclair |
| un gâteau | a cake |
| le miel | honey |
| la mousse au chocolat | chocolate mousse |
| le pain | bread |
| les pâtes (f) | pasta |
| la pizza | pizza |
| le riz | rice |
| une tarte | similar to a pie |
Drinks and beverages
Whether at home or out on the town, having a traditional French boisson (drink) can make any evening feel a bit fancier. Here are some words for common French drinks:
| French | English |
| la bière | beer |
| un boulevardier | a twist on a Negroni with whiskey and Campari |
| le café | coffee |
| le champagne | champagne |
| le chocolat chaud | hot chocolate |
| l’eau (f) | water |
| le French 75 | cocktail with gin and champagne |
| le jus (d’orange, de pomme, etc.) | juice (orange, apple, etc.) |
| le kir | crème de cassis (currant liqueur) and white wine |
| le kir royale | crème de cassis and champagne |
| le pastis | anise-flavored liqueur |
| St. Germain | elderflower liqueur |
| le thé | tea |
| le vin | wine |
To truly level up your French fluency when it comes to food words, it is essential to understand articles in French. Knowing when to use “the” or “a”, what’s masculine or feminine, and how to say you want “some” are all different in French. If you want more practice with this, Rosetta Stone’s live tutoring can help you feel confident in all things French grammar!
French food words to use while cooking
For those that prefer to cook at home, there’s still a lot of French to be used. Many French words about food are right in your kitchen, waiting to be practiced! There are endless cooking methods and dishes to employ from the comfort of your own home.
| French | English |
| aïoli | from the French word for garlic (ail), a spread using mayonnaise and garlic |
| une bain-marie | a method that uses hot water to gently cook or keep food warm |
| blanchir | to blanch – to cook food briefly then cool down in an ice water bath |
| la bouillabaisse | a traditional stew from the region of Provence with fish and shellfish |
| le bouillon | a broth from meat or seafood, usually used as a base for other dishes |
| le cassoulet | a stew from the South of France containing white beans and meat (usually pork, lamb or duck) |
| le confit | when meat is cooked in its own fat (usually duck) |
| une crêpe | a French classic, like a thin pancake and served with jam or Nutella |
| en croûte | when food is cooked in pastry, such as salmon or Beef Wellington |
| flambé | when alcohol (usually brandy) is used for cooking then lit on fire |
| le foie gras | duck or goose liver, fattened by force feeding the animal |
| une galette | the savory version of a crêpe, usually filled with ham, cheese and egg |
| (au) gratin | to broil a dish to get a crusty top, often with cheese in the dish |
| julienne | to cut a food (usually vegetables) into very fine strips |
| le mirepoix | a mixture of carrots, onions and celery usually as a base for soup |
| le pain perdu | literally “lost bread”, this is the French term for French toast |
| (en) papillote | when food (like salmon) is cooked in a packet, usually parchment paper |
| le pâté | a spread made from meat or fish, usually chicken liver |
| la ratatouille | another stew from the region of Provence, using vegetables like eggplant and peppers |
| sauté | to cook lightly over a stovetop in fat (sauter literally means to jump) |
| une tarte tatin | the French version of apple pie, with caramelized apples |
For extra French practice, you could watch a cooking show or French movie on Netflix while you cook!
Idioms and phrases with French food vocabulary
Learning French is a piece of cake. You and French are two peas in a pod. Just like in English, French has many common expressions (known as idioms) and phrases that use food words. Many of these, you won’t find in a French dictionary.
| French | English Translation | English Meaning |
| avoir du pain sur la planche | to have bread on the plate | to have a lot to do |
| avoir la banane | to have the banana | to have a big smile |
| avoir le cœur d’artichaut | to have an artichoke’s heart | to be sentimental |
| les carottes sont cuites | the carrots are cooked | it’s over, it’s too late to do anything |
| mon chou | my cabbage | my dear (common term of endearment) |
| en faire tout un fromage | to make all the cheese about it | to make a big fuss about something |
| faire/raconter des salades | to make/tell salads | to tell tall tales/lie |
| une nouille | a noodle | an idiot |
| occupe-toi de tes oignons | mind your onions | mind your own business |
| tomber dans les pommes | to fall in the apples | to faint |
Now that you are ready to make and order all kinds of food and drink in French, let Rosetta Stone help you take your French to the next level. Download the Rosetta Stone App to take with you wherever you go. Bon appétit !