La nourriture / Les aliments
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Food is a necessity, and can also be a source of great pleasure. Being able to talk about French food will come in handy while shopping, dining, traveling, and entertaining friends, so check out this vocab list for French food, including the basic food groups and related verbs. Bon appétit !
to be hungry | avoir faim | |
meal | le repas | |
breakfast | le petit-déjeuner | |
lunch | le déjeuner | |
dinner | le dîner | |
after-school snack | le goûter | |
appetizer, starter | le hors d’œuvre l’entrée* |
|
soup | la soupe le potage |
|
main course | le plat principal | |
salad | la salade | |
dessert | le dessert | |
kitchen, cooking | la cuisine | |
dining room | la salle à manger | |
restaurant | le restaurant |
Verbs
(click for conjugations)
to eat | manger | |
to have breakfast to have lunch |
déjeuner | |
to have dinner | dîner | |
to taste | goûter |
* In American English, “entrée” means main course, whereas in French une entrée refers to an appetizer / starter. Learn more: French meals and menus
Les fruits (m) Fruit
l’abricot | (m) | apricot | |
l’ananas | (m) | pineapple | |
la banane | banana | ||
la cerise | cherry | ||
le citron | lemon | ||
le citron vert | lime | ||
la figue | fig | ||
la fraise | strawberry | ||
la framboise | raspberry | ||
la grenade | pomegranate | ||
la mandarine | tangerine | ||
le melon | melon | ||
la mûre | blackberry | ||
la myrtille | blueberry | ||
l’orange | (m) | orange | |
le pamplemousse | grapefruit | ||
la pastèque | watermelon | ||
la pêche | peach | ||
la poire | pear | ||
la pomme | apple | ||
la prune | plum | ||
le pruneau | prune | ||
le raisin | grape | ||
le raisin sec | raisin |
Les légumes (m) Vegetables
l’ail | (m) | garlic | |
l’artichaut | (m) | artichoke | |
les asperges | (f) | asparagus | |
l’aubergine | (f) | eggplant | |
la betterave | beet | ||
la carotte | carrot | ||
le céleri | celery | ||
le champignon | mushroom | ||
le chou-fleur | cauliflower | ||
la citrouille | pumpkin (round) | ||
le concombre | cucumber | ||
la courge | squash | ||
la courgette | zucchini | ||
les épinards | (m) | spinach | |
le haricot | bean | ||
l’igname | (f) | yam | |
la laitue | lettuce | ||
l’oignon | (m) | onion | |
le maïs | corn | ||
la patate douce | sweet potato | ||
les petits pois | (m) | peas | |
le poireau | leek | ||
le poivron | bell pepper | ||
la pomme de terre | potato | ||
le potiron | pumpkin (oval, somewhat flat) | ||
le radis | radish | ||
la roquette | arugula | ||
la tomate | tomato |
Les produits laitiers Dairy products
le babeurre | buttermilk | |
le beurre | butter | |
la crème | cream | |
la crème fraîche | slightly sour thick cream | |
le fromage | cheese | |
le fromage blanc | ~ cream cheese | |
la glace | ice cream | |
le lait | milk | |
le yaourt | yogurt |
La viande Meat
l’agneau | (m) | lamb | |
les anchois | (m) | anchovies | |
le bifteck | steak | ||
le canard | duck | ||
la dinde | turkey | ||
les escargots | (m) | snails | |
le jambon | ham | ||
le lapin | rabbit | ||
le poisson | fish | ||
le porc | pork | ||
le poulet | chicken | ||
le rosbif | roast beef | ||
le saucisson | sausage | ||
le veau | veal |
Le dessert Dessert
le biscuit | cookie | ||
les bonbons | (m) | candy | |
le chocolat | chocolate | ||
la crème brûlée | custard w/ burnt sugar | ||
la crème caramel | flan | ||
le fromage | cheese | ||
les fruits | (m) | fruit | |
le gâteau | cake | ||
la glace | ice cream | ||
la mousse au chocolat | chocolate mousse | ||
la tarte | pie | ||
la vanille | vanilla |
Et cetera
la confiture | jam | ||
le croissant | croissant | ||
la farine | flour | ||
les frites | (f) | fries (US), chips (UK) | |
l’huile d’olive | (f) | olive oil | |
la mayonnaise | mayonnaise | ||
le miel | honey | ||
la moutarde | mustard | ||
un œuf des œufs** |
egg eggs |
||
le pain | bread | ||
le pain grillé | toast | ||
la pâte à tartiner | ~ toast spread, like Nutella or peanut butter | ||
les pâtes | (f) | pasta | |
le poivre | pepper | ||
le riz | rice | ||
la sauce | sauce, dressing, gravy | ||
le sel | salt | ||
le sucre |
sugar | ||
la tartine | toast |
** Note the difference in pronunciation between singular and plural.
In France, coffee is served after dessert, not with it. Learn more: French meals and menus
Food Quiz
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on some French food vocabulary.
Expressions with and about food
Related features
Lessons
- Chores
- Colors
- Dishes and silverware
- Drinks
- Meals and menus
- Partitive articles
- Restaurant
- Shops and businesses
- Weight and volume
French listening comprehension
- Achats dans une grande surface
- Au restaurant
- La bouffe
- Chocolat à Paris
- Dîner en ville
- Fête du citron à Menton
- Le repas de Noël en France
- Le salon du chocolat à Paris
- Pain au chocolat vs chocolatine
- Pourquoi les Français sont-ils si fiers de leur cuisine ?
- Que mangent les Français au petit déjeuner ?
- Traditions de Noël réunionnaises
French reading comprehension
French lesson plans
- Culinary culture (Lesson, 8th-9th grade)
- Culinary culture: Quiz (Worksheet, 9th-10th grade)
- Discovering French food culture (Lesson, 9th-10th grade)
- Drinks and snacks (Lesson, 10th-12th grade)
- Food words: scramble (Worksheet, 7th-8th grade)
- Fruits and vegetables (Worksheet, 6th-12th grade)
- Les repas (Lesson, 10th grade)
- Sondage : J’ai horreur des broccolis ! (Lesson, 3rd-5th grade)
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In italiano
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