Food is an integral part of French culture, from simple café dishes to gourmet cuisine. Learning French food vocabulary will not only help you order with confidence at restaurants but also engage in conversations about food and cooking. Below, we’ve organized the essential food words into helpful categories.
1. Basic Food Items (Les Aliments)
Understanding basic food items is crucial for grocery shopping, following recipes, and more.
Fruits (Les Fruits)
- La pomme – The apple
- La banane – The banana
- La fraise – The strawberry
- L’orange (f) – The orange
- La cerise – The cherry
- La pêche – The peach
- Le raisin – The grape
- Le citron – The lemon
- La mangue – The mango
- La pastèque – The watermelon
Vegetables (Les Légumes)
- La carotte – The carrot
- La tomate – The tomato
- Le poivron – The pepper
- L’épinard (m) – The spinach
- La courgette – The zucchini
- L’aubergine (f) – The eggplant
- L’oignon (m) – The onion
- L’ail (m) – The garlic
- La laitue – The lettuce
- Le champignon – The mushroom
Meats and Proteins (Les Viandes et Protéines)
- Le poulet – The chicken
- Le bœuf – The beef
- Le poisson – The fish
- La dinde – The turkey
- Le porc – The pork
- L’agneau (m) – The lamb
- La crevette – The shrimp
- Le thon – The tuna
- Le saumon – The salmon
- Le saucisson – The sausage
Dairy Products (Les Produits Laitiers)
- Le lait – The milk
- Le beurre – The butter
- Le fromage – The cheese
- Le yaourt – The yogurt
- La crème – The cream
Example Sentence:
- J’achète des pommes et des carottes au marché. (I buy apples and carrots at the market.)
2. French Meals (Les Repas)
Use these terms to talk about the different meals of the day.
- Le petit déjeuner – The breakfast
- Le déjeuner – The lunch
- Le dîner – The dinner
- Le goûter – The snack
- Le brunch – The brunch
- L’apéritif (m) – Pre-dinner drink/snacks
- L’entrée (f) – The starter
- Le plat principal – The main course
- Le dessert – The dessert
- Le soupé – The late night meal
Example Sentence:
- Nous dînons à 20 heures. (We have dinner at 8 p.m.)
3. Common Drinks (Les Boissons)
Whether you’re ordering in a café or discussing your favorite drink, these are key.
- Le café – The coffee
- Le thé – The tea
- Le vin – The wine
- L’eau (f) – The water
- Le jus d’orange – The orange juice
- La bière – The beer
- Le soda – The soda
- La limonade – The lemonade
- Le chocolat chaud – The hot chocolate
- Le cidre – The cider
- Le pastis – The anise-flavored drink
- Le champagne – The champagne
Example Sentence:
- Je prends un café, s’il vous plaît. (I’ll have a coffee, please.)
4. Ordering in a Restaurant
Essential phrases to help you feel confident when ordering food in French restaurants.
- Le serveur / La serveuse – The waiter / waitress
- La carte – The menu
- Le menu du jour – The menu of the day
- Le plat du jour – The dish of the day
- Réserver une table – To book a table
- Je voudrais… – I would like…
- L’addition (f) – The bill
- Bien cuit / À point / Saignant – Well-done / Medium / Rare (for meat)
- Je suis végétarien(ne) – I am vegetarian
- Sans gluten / Sans produits laitiers – Gluten-free / Dairy-free
- Est-ce que vous avez des plats végétariens? – Do you have vegetarian dishes?
Example Dialogue:
- Client: Je voudrais l’addition, s’il vous plaît.
- Serveur: Très bien, un instant.
(Translation: Client: I would like the bill, please. Waiter: Very well, one moment.)
5. Cooking Vocabulary (Les Verbes et Termes de Cuisine)
- Cuisiner – To cook
- Couper – To cut
- Faire bouillir – To boil
- Griller – To grill
- Mélanger – To mix
- Rôtir – To roast
- Faire frire – To fry
- Éplucher – To peel
- Assaisonner – To season
- Cuire à la vapeur – To steam
- Émincer – To slice thinly
- Hacher – To chop
- Réchauffer – To reheat
Example Sentence:
- Il faut assaisonner la viande avant de la faire griller. (You need to season the meat before grilling it.)
6. French Baked Goods and Desserts (Les Pâtisseries et Desserts)
Learn about popular French pastries and desserts.
- Le croissant – The croissant
- La baguette – The baguette
- La tarte – The tart
- L’éclair (m) – The eclair
- La crêpe – The crepe
- Le macaron – The macaron
- Le pain au chocolat – The chocolate croissant
- La brioche – The brioche
- La tarte Tatin – The upside-down apple tart
- Les profiteroles (f) – The choux pastry filled with cream
- La mousse au chocolat – The chocolate mousse
- La crème brûlée – The burnt cream custard
Example Sentence:
- J’adore manger une brioche avec un chocolat chaud. (I love eating a brioche with a hot chocolate.)
7. Cheese (Le Fromage)
Cheese is essential in French cuisine. Here are some common ones.
- Le camembert
- Le brie
- Le roquefort
- Le comté
- Le chèvre – The goat cheese
- Le gruyère
- Le reblochon
- La tomme
- Le bleu d’Auvergne
- L’emmental (m)
- Le brillat-savarin
Example Sentence:
- Le camembert est délicieux avec du pain. (Camembert cheese is delicious with bread.)
8. French Food Specialties (Les Spécialités Françaises)
Famous French dishes you may encounter.
- Le coq au vin – Chicken cooked in wine
- La ratatouille – Vegetable stew
- La bouillabaisse – Fish soup
- La quiche Lorraine – Savory tart with bacon and cheese
- Le cassoulet – Bean and meat stew
- Le bœuf bourguignon – Beef stewed in red wine
- Le croque-monsieur – Grilled ham and cheese sandwich
- La tartiflette – Potatoes with cheese and bacon
- Les escargots (m) – Snails
- Le foie gras – Duck or goose liver
- La soupe à l’oignon – French onion soup
Example Sentence:
- La ratatouille est un plat typique de Provence. (Ratatouille is a typical dish from Provence.)
9. French Food-Related Expressions
Here are some fun and useful idiomatic expressions related to food.
- Avoir la pêche – To feel great (literally: to have the peach)
- Raconter des salades – To tell lies (literally: to tell salads)
- Être haut comme trois pommes – To be very short (literally: to be as tall as three apples)
- Avoir la banane – To be happy (literally: to have the banana)
- Tomber dans les pommes – To faint (literally: to fall in the apples)
- Être une poule mouillée – To be a coward (literally: to be a wet chicken)
- Mettre du beurre dans les épinards – To improve your financial situation (literally: to put butter in the spinach)
- Manger sur le pouce – To eat quickly (literally: to eat on the thumb)
- Être serré comme des sardines – To be packed like sardines
- Appuyer sur le champignon – To step on the gas (literally: to press the mushroom)
- Avoir un appétit d’oiseau – To have a small appetite (literally: to have a bird’s appetite)
- C’est la cerise sur le gâteau – It’s the icing on the cake (literally: It’s the cherry on the cake)
10. Practice Quiz
Test your knowledge with this short quiz:
- What’s the French word for “cheese”?
- How do you say “main course” in French?
- Translate: “I would like a coffee and a croissant.”
- What is the French term for “roasting”?
- What does “Tomber dans les pommes” mean?
Conclusion
Mastering this extended French food vocabulary, complete with gendered articles, will greatly improve your ability to navigate French cuisine, order confidently at restaurants, and even follow recipes like a pro. Whether you’re visiting France or cooking at home, these words will serve you well. Bon appétit!
